Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) has installed life-saving defibrillators at the charity’s offices to benefit communities in both counties.
The automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been mounted to the exterior of the charity’s Wellington and Wimborne offices, to provide members of the public with a life-saving resource in the event of a medical emergency. The AEDs can be accessed 24 hours a day and provide clear step-by-step instructions to help save someone’s life if they experience a cardiac arrest.
Each year, DSAA provides a resuscitation attempt to approximately 300 people following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Neurologically intact survival following OHCA is dependent on several time-sensitive interventions including prompt recognition and calling for help, delivery of chest compressions (CPR), early defibrillation and post-resuscitative care; also known as the ‘chain of survival’.
The installation of the AEDs is aligned with the charity’s overall strategy to positively influence the chain of survival, by enabling patients to receive life-saving treatment before the arrival of an ambulance or DSAA’s critical care team.
Charles Hackett, DSAA Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our AED units have been installed in partnership between DSAA and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWAST), with SWAST experts maintaining and monitoring the units, and giving annual emergency first aid training to DSAA employees. Having the AEDs registered with the ambulance service is so important, so that they can guide members of the public to this life-saving resource when it is needed most.”
Ollie Zorab, Specialist Practitioner in Critical Care at DSAA and Clinical Lead for Cardiac Arrest at SWAST, said: “Defibrillators are life-saving pieces of equipment which significantly increase a person’s chance of making a good recovery following a cardiac arrest. Each device has easy-to-follow instructions, so can be used by anyone without training, in the crucial few moments following a patient’s collapse.
“Our devices have joined the many thousands of defibrillators which are registered on the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator database. Taking a few moments to find the nearest defibrillator to your home or workplace via the national Defib Finder website, can help to save time in a medical emergency and save lives.”
The charity’s AED units have been added to the national defibrillator network known as ‘The Circuit’, run by the British Heart Foundation in partnership with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, Resuscitation Council UK and St Johns Ambulance. In the event of a medical emergency, members of the public who call 999 will be directed to the nearest available AED unit by the ambulance service call handler. Members of the public can also search for their nearest AED unit via the Defib Finder website: www.defibfinder.uk More information about DSAA can be found by visiting the charity’s website: www.dsairambulance.org.uk
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