Each year 120,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in the UK and the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust attends over 4000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year.
Early action is essential for cardiac arrest. Only within the first few minutes following cardiac arrest will the patient’s heart be in a ‘shockable rhythm’, rapid defibrillation is therefore vital.
The chances of survival diminish by 10% every minute that elapses when someone is in cardiac arrest.
Standard timescales for paramedic intervention are:
Time to recognize the person is in cardiac arrest 1 min
Time make a 999 call to the emergency services 1 min
Time for the emergency services to arrive in urban areas 3 to 8 mins
Time to locate the victim and deliver the shock 2 mins
Therefore the minimum urban total time taken is 7 to 11 mins
Sadly on Dartmoor the urban timescales are unrealistic and documented times for paramedics to reach a cardiac rest are frequently in the order of 40 minutes. That is why Dartmoor Forest Parish Council is investing in defibrillators to be sited at key points in the Parish.
Dartmoor Forest Parish Council is buying two defibrillators that can be used by a complete novice to intervene in a cardiac arrest. These will be sited at Hexworthy and Postbridge, increasing the probability of residents and visitors alike surviving a cardiac arrest in the Parish.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service already have a defibrillator installed on No1 Unit at Princetown.
Early action is essential for cardiac arrest. Only within the first few minutes following cardiac arrest will the patient’s heart be in a ‘shockable rhythm’, rapid defibrillation is therefore vital.
The chances of survival diminish by 10% every minute that elapses when someone is in cardiac arrest.
Standard timescales for paramedic intervention are:
Time to recognize the person is in cardiac arrest 1 min
Time make a 999 call to the emergency services 1 min
Time for the emergency services to arrive in urban areas 3 to 8 mins
Time to locate the victim and deliver the shock 2 mins
Therefore the minimum urban total time taken is 7 to 11 mins
Sadly on Dartmoor the urban timescales are unrealistic and documented times for paramedics to reach a cardiac rest are frequently in the order of 40 minutes. That is why Dartmoor Forest Parish Council is investing in defibrillators to be sited at key points in the Parish.
Dartmoor Forest Parish Council is buying two defibrillators that can be used by a complete novice to intervene in a cardiac arrest. These will be sited at Hexworthy and Postbridge, increasing the probability of residents and visitors alike surviving a cardiac arrest in the Parish.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service already have a defibrillator installed on No1 Unit at Princetown.