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Defibrillators


Grassman

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3 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Whilst CPR skills are very useful, they do not in fact save that many people whose heart has stopped. When I was working I had to attend an "emergency aid" course every 2 years.

On last couple of courses I  attended the instructor said that only 4% of CPR'a will be successful.

The reason why they now state this is to try to reduce the the depression of the person giving CPR by reducing his expectations of a successful recovery. I understand the the number of successful recoveries by defibrillator is about 3-4 times that of CPR.

Believe they have been saying that about CPR for a while now. They certainly did about 20 years ago when I was a first aider.  You should certainly give CPR tho until a defib arrives, etc.

Edited by Robbo
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In order to save someone you need to perform CPR or defib within a few minutes of the attack. So if someone collapses in the marina a Defibrillator Machine could be useful but any where else CPR could bw more helpful until a Paramedic arrives. A village near ours has had a machine for about 3 years which has not yet been used. So which is more effective?,

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32 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

On last couple of courses I  attended the instructor said that only 4% of CPR'a will be successful.

 

If my heart has stopped I'll take a 4% chance of survival over nothing at all.  Just try not to break my ribs.

Of course defibrillators won't restart a stopped heart - that's why they are called "de-fibrillators" - i.e. they will try and start a heart beating normally when it has gone into fibrillation, which is sort of like an arrhythmic quivering.

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48 minutes ago, Robbo said:

Believe they have been saying that about CPR for a while now. They certainly did about 20 years ago when I was a first aider.  You should certainly give CPR tho until a defib arrives, etc.

As I said I have been doing emergency aid courses (not first aid which cover a wider scope)  since the early 1970's. It was only since about 2010 that I attended ones where they gave the success rate.

 I didn't say you shouldn't give CPR, I was trying to publicise the fact that it isn't usually successful, unlike the portrayal on TV.

14 minutes ago, dor said:

If my heart has stopped I'll take a 4% chance of survival over nothing at all.  Just try not to break my ribs.

Of course defibrillators won't restart a stopped heart - that's why they are called "de-fibrillators" - i.e. they will try and start a heart beating normally when it has gone into fibrillation, which is sort of like an arrhythmic quivering.

So would I take the 4% chance. 

Yes I understand how a defibrillator works,  poor choice of words by me.

12 minutes ago, mross said:

They function by stopping your heart.

I know, poor choice of words.

Edited by cuthound
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43 minutes ago, dor said:

If my heart has stopped I'll take a 4% chance of survival over nothing at all.  Just try not to break my ribs.

Don't worry about my ribs, they'll heal. Just give me the 4% chance please :)

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1 hour ago, WotEver said:

Don't worry about my ribs, they'll heal. Just give me the 4% chance please :)

Absolutely. The Wikipedia article on cardiac arrest gives survival at 6% following CPR and/or defib, slightly better but not much. :angry2:

The commonest type of arrest is ventricular fibrillation, so the purpose of CPR is often to keep the casualty going until the paramedics get there or an AED is available.

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Thanks for all your responses to my OP. I didn't know much about them or how they worked, so I've learnt a lot from you others.

 

Fair play to the marinas such as Mercia and Aquaduct for installing them, and it's a pity not may of the others provide them, especially now they've become so affordable and 'user friendly'.

 

 

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23 hours ago, oats said:

The marina we are in at the moment has one BUT locked away in the office

so out of hours and when closed on Thursdays no one can get to it, what use is that?

If someone is in cardiac arrest outside office hours you simply kick the door in to get the defibrillator and worry about the damage afterwards

  • Greenie 1
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