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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Automated External Defibrillator, this could jump-start your life. + Free CPR Training

I remember posting a post on Defibrillator in September. Well today, I attended a session on how to use the AED or Automated External Defibrillator. Before that, I have no idea what it does!



Well, it's the thing that on TV, they have "STAND CLEAR" then they send this electric shock to the patient and tries it again and again until the person's heartbeat resumes. Haha..

This is a portable one. It's meant for anyone who knows how to use it to save someone who is having cardiac arrest. Survival rate of the victim decreases by 10% every minute.

We were told we had around 50 over units of this all over the campus, and it could possibly be the most concentrated number of AEDs in Singapore and maybe the world! This model is totally automated.

If the place where you work has a AED, go for a briefing on how to use it. It might come in handy one day. It's especially useful if you are a certified first-aider with still a valid cert.

Anyway, if someone is suffering from cardiac arrest and you happen to see one around, this is what you can do.
- Check if the person is OK.
- If not, do the CPR A B C, (check Airway, clear Blockage, apply Compression)
- Get someone to retrieve the AED.
- Get someone to call the ambulance (in Singapore it is 995)
- Open the AED cover, then follow the voice prompt to use it to regulate the victim's heartbeat.


Here's what the voice prompt roughly would be like. It will tell you to:
- Open the pads and place them on the victim. (One pad on the upper chest and one on the lower chest.)
- The pads has picture to tell you where to put. One pad on top right of victim's body, the other pad on the left bottom of the victim's body. (ie, the heart is between the two pads, so the current can pass through and 'jump start' the heart)
- The machine is automated and will monitor and analyze the heart rate, ECG, whatever else.
- When it deems necessary to 'shock' the victim it will say "STAND CLEAR", and automatically administer the shock.
- It will then prompt to apply CPR - give the breathe of life and apply compression.
- Repeat until an ambulance arrive.

The machine is quite intelligent, we were told, we just need to follow the voice instructions.

I guess most people would not even want to try right? But if the person is your relative or love ones, you might. So the above might be useful. So get yourself trained!

If you are in Singapore, you can get FREE First Aid and CPR Training provided by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). There's a Community Emergency Preparedness Programme that you can join. View their website for details and registration.

Realise I mention FREE? Haha.. that's the only thing that will attract people in Singapore right?
Ooops, must be my longest post to date. I am not medical personnel. So that's what I know, so get yourself trained to be sure.

8 comments:

Olivier said...

c'est une très bonne idée. tout cela n'existe pas encore en France où alors n'est pas accessible.
Je te souhaite un bon weekend
It is a very good idea. All this does not yet exist in France, where then is not accessible.
I wish you a good weekend

Isadora said...

It is a wonderful thing to have this available - but on campus? Are they stressing the students out to such an extent? Or is it for the professors? You really have to be able to remain cool to use something like this - I would not recommend any of you to get ill around me. I'm utterly useless in an emergency - however, my panic is thorough and genuine!

Jazzy said...

well done Keropok on the thorough explanation, i wander if people rally have those at home.

Lynette said...

We have an AED on our floor at work, hanging on the wall in the employee lounge. Everyone on the floor is trained to operate it and hopes very much that none of us ever needs it. We do feel better knowing that it is there, though.

Unknown said...

olivier,
Maybe all the red wine consumed by French makes them healthy, and so cardiac arrest is not common there :-)


Isadora,
haha.. There were a few times staff and students died after over enthusiastic exercising. I guess it's to prevent such things in future if possible. it was sad when we heard of the news of someone we knew passed on.

jazzy,
not for normal people i guess, unless that person is at very high risk.

lynette,
Yeah, it makes us feel better, but if everyone knows how to use it, I will be more comforted! haha...

• Eliane • said...

I've had one of those trainings too. Two years ago I think. The very next day, I was in the subway and the person next to me collapsed!! From what I learned at the training I knew it was not heart failure but something like epilepsy. Hopefully, there was a doctor in the subway car. I've never been that scared.

Unknown said...

eliane,

that does sound scary! after all those training, people still are vary right?

danaelliottMD said...

Now that you have the skill, join us to help protect your own family! Go to www.firstaidcorps.org, watch the video, and if you have any questions, you can email me at cocreate@firstaidcorps.org.