It’s vital that defibrillators (AEDs) can be accessed quickly in an emergency and the Sussex Heart Charity is committed to supporting the installation of publicly accessible AEDs across the whole of Sussex.
Back in 1987 the charity helped fund AEDs for two local railway stations, and we believe these were the first two publicly accessible defibrillators in Europe! Since then (and thanks to your generous donations and support) our ‘AEDs in the community’ project has gone from strength to strength.
‘AED’ stands for automated external defibrillator.
It is a portable medical device, designed to be used if someone suffers a sudden out of hospital cardiac arrest.
AEDs are very safe and are easy to use – they can be operated by the public as well as medical professionals.
If a patient is in cardiac arrest, the AED works by sending a direct electrical shock/jolt (defibrillation) to the heart muscle. This aims to re-start the heart and get it back into a normal rhythm. If done as soon as possible, this could save a patient’s life and minimise injury to the heart muscle and major organs.
Before delivering a shock, defibrillator pads are placed on the patient’s chest and the AED machine analyses the patient’s rhythm. If a shockable rhythm (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) is detected, a shock can be administered.
If a shock isn’t advisable, the AED instructs you to do CPR on the patient.
Every second counts!
Out of hospital cardiac arrests can be fatal – every minute that passes without medical intervention reduces the chances of survival by between 10% and 20%.
If members of the public are able to find and use an AED in an emergency this is very important, as basic life support can be performed while waiting for paramedics or medical professionals to arrive – which increases the chances of survival.
AEDs can save lives and it’s therefore vital that all local communities and public spaces have easy 24/7 access to these life saving devices – and that the public has the confidence to use AEDs in an emergency.
