With Government statistics showing that as many as 12 young people die each week as a result of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a college in South Yorkshire has joined the growing number of education providers who are recognising the life-saving benefits of Automated External Defibrillators (AED).
Dearne Valley College takes its responsibilities for the welfare of its students very seriously and, to demonstrate this, invested in a Lifeline AED from Martek Medical, a specialist distributor of defibrillator technology and the UK distributor of the Lifeline range.
Shaun Woodward, Sports Centre Manager at Dearne Valley College, explains: "Fortunately, there has never been a case of sudden cardiac arrest on our premises but we didn't want to wait until it happened before taking action because then it’s too late and one young life lost is one too many. We decided to install the AED behind the reception desk in our sports centre, which means that, should an SCA occur, we would be able to respond within four minutes, significantly increasing chances of survival."
An even more worrying statistic to come out of Government research is the fact that 80 per cent of these young SCA victims which show no prior symptoms. AEDs are the only proven treatment to restore a normal heart rhythm and the speed of delivery is vital as the chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of around 10% with each minute that passes. By providing early defibrillation, the chances of survival can be increased to as high as 75 per cent.
Ian Couldwell, Product Manager for Martek Medical, said: "It’s fantastic to see an increasing number of school and colleges recognising how important AEDs are in protecting their students and staff, particularly in their sports centres. Sadly, in the past, AEDs have often been installed as a response to a tragedy, but we’re now seeing more and more people having the foresight to invest in them as a way of avoiding such a tragedy.”
The Lifeline AED is ideal for school environments as it is safe to use on children.
Shaun Woodward added: "All of our sports centre staff are trained to use the AED and it forms part of our regular first aid training, which takes place every three months. Our staff have found it extremely straightforward to work with and the talk-through guide is invaluable, as it helps people to relax when using it."
The Lifeline AED is easy to use and requires no prior training, meaning that even if a trained person is not in the vicinity the patient can still be treated with life-saving defibrillation. An independent study by the University of Illinois concluded that the Lifeline AED has the highest success rate for untrained users being able to deliver a safe and effective defibrillation shock to the patient. Clear and concise voice instructions guide the user through the process of use in an emergency situation, making the whole process straightforward and providing the best chance of saving a life.
Martek Medical is the official UK distributor for Defibtech LLC, a leading innovator in the field of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Martek Medical provides the full range of Lifeline defibrillators, which are designed to be used by both professionals and non-professionals to restore a heart to a normal rhythm in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.
For more information visit the website www.martek-medical.com