N.S. rolls out a program to alert people with AEDs of a nearby cardiac arrest but many are left unlisted.
Marc Butler almost died on a soccer field as his friends performed chest compressions and players pounded on doors of a nearby recreation center trying to reach a defibrillator inside.
Unlisted defibrillators
Fraser Allen stated that it was almost 20 minutes where there was no pulse. He was performing CPR on his friend when he went into cardiac arrest in Upper Sackville, N.S.
The paramedics and firefighters arrived on the scene with an automated external defibrillator (AED). It took them several shocks but it successfully restored Butler’s heart to a normal rhythm.
As he recovered in a healthcare facility, Butler, a health-care manager in his mid-40s learned that a defibrillator was available in the Weir Field Recreation Facility, only 200 meters away from the site where he collapsed.
Fixing the issue
The province is trying to fix this issue. It has established a new system that allows the medical dispatchers in case of a cardiac arrest to send an alert to individuals registered to defibrillators within 1.2 kilometers. This gives them a chance to quickly bring one to the scene. Eventually, the dispatchers can also tell 911 callers where the nearest defibrillators are available.
Importance of first aid training
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) can save a life. Prompt delivery of life-saving techniques improves the chances of survival during emergencies.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a class on CPR and AED and for more information, check out these sources: