AED Authority

Across the nation, more than 30,000 out of hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur every year. Sadly, less than 10% survive, making sudden cardiac arrest one of our biggest killers. However, the survival rate can improve significantly with early defibrillation. Before we dive into why the building industry should include defibrillators in their first aid and emergency plans, let’s understand sudden cardiac arrest a bit more. What is sudden cardiac arrest? Sudden cardiac arrest, sometimes called cardiac arrest or SCA, is when the heart suddenly stops. Your heart’s electrical system controls the rate and rhythm of its pumping. A malfunction in that system causes the heart to go out of rhythm or stop, ceasing to pump oxygen-carrying blood around the body. Every cell in your body needs oxygen, so when the heart stops, it starves your brain and organs; you fall unconscious and stop breathing. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation may reverse a sudden cardiac arrest to save a person’s lif...

For someone experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) every minute counts. The rate of survival drops by 10% for every minute from collapse without intervention and after 5-6 minutes survival rate will hit 0%. Defibrillation is key to surviving SCA and if enacted within the first few minutes from collapse survival can be boosted to as high as 70%. The key to saving a life in this situation is knowing the steps and understanding the technology. What is an Automatic external defibrillator (AED)? An Automatic external defibrillator (AED) is a device that delivers a set amount of electrical shock to the heart after it analyses heart rhythm. It determines whether a shock is required to the heart through adhesive electrode pads attached to the person’s chest. If an abnormal heartbeat is detected, the AED will shock to interrupt the abnormal rhythm of the heart giving the heart a chance to return to its normal pumping rhythm. Put simply, an AED is a powerful, lifesaving device that shou...