Every year there are over 30,000 cardiac arrests in the UK to which emergency services attempt to resuscitate the victim, only 1 in 10 of these people survive being discharged from hospital. So to put that into perspective, of the 30,000 people who suffer from a cardiac arrest, only 3,000 will survive.
Most people know that if you see someone who is suffering from a cardiac arrest, that they should call emergency services and perform CPR. What many people don't know, is that CPR has an extremely low survival rate on its own. When CPR is used in conjunction with a defibrillator, it dramatically increases the chance of survival. The British Heart Foundation are campaigning to implement more PAD's (Public Access Defibrillators) into local communities.
All PAD's must by automated, to ensure that in circumstances that may arise anyone can use it. There are two different types of PAD, automatic and semi automatic. The automatic defibrillator will go off, as you'd probably guessed, automatically. Where as with the semi automatic the operator will need to press the button to give the shock. This can be a safer option as the automatic defibrillator will still go off even if someone is making contact with the victim, which may come as a bit of a shock to them.
This means that all registrants of the GDC must follow guidance on medical emergencies and training updates issued by the council. Their main medical guidance document for Dental professionals is the Quality Standards for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) practice and training. Within the document it explains that all areas should have immediate access to an automated external defibrillator (AED). The document is endorsed by the GDC who expect any registrant to apply this guidance within their practice.
As the guidance is to have defibrillators within all dental practices, here at Dental Sky we supply the HeartSine samaritan PAD range, a market leading brand with innovative new technologies. The HeartSine range ranks very highly against its competitors; being small, lightweight, and having a much longer battery lifespan. The samaritan range includes several patented technologies including:
- Proprietary Electrode Technology© gives a fast recovery time which reduces the time between shock and CPR. This also provides top quality electronic performance whilst greatly reducing operating noise. The electrodes are larger than those of most other defibrillators and have low electrical resistance which helps to increase the chance of successful defibrillation.
- SCOPE Technology© automatically adjusts shocks and CPR rhythm to suit each patient. It does this by instantly assessing the patient’s body resistance. This not only improves defibrillation but also makes it much more energy efficient (Four year electrode and battery lifespan).
The Samaritan range offers 3 different models with slight variations:
Samaritan PAD 350P
The PAD 350P is a semi-automatic defibrillator that tells you exactly when to administer shocks. The device will guide you through the pad application using visual and audio prompts should you ever need to use it.
Samaritan PAD 360P
The PAD 360P is fully automated meaning it will deliver the shock itself. The device will guide you through pad application using visuals and audio prompts much like the Pad 350P.
Samaritan PAD 500P
The PAD 500P is a semi-automatic defibrillator with everything included from both the 350p and 360p. In addition to these features the pad 500p also include an integrated CPR advisor that will give you guidance through the defibrillation program. this system measure the speed and force of the compressions being administered and gives voice prompts such as "push harder", push faster" and "good compressions" for feedback during CPR.
PAD Trainers
Also included in the Samaritan range is a training module that can be used in training environments and replicate the exact process that is required during a real life situation. The device mirrors the live system in order to provide accurate and relevant training, providing simulated analysis, energy delivery and prompted CPR intervals without giving the actual charge discharge as would be necessary in a real life situation. The Training PAD is controlled using a remote to guide users step by step.
Here at Dental Sky we like to practice what we preach, so we have our own Public Access Defibrillator. We have registered our AED with the local ambulance service, several websites, and mobile applications to make our equipment publicly accessible. We would encourage our customers to do the same; not only does this support your local community to help save lives but it also benefits your dental practice as a business, as a method of free advertisement.
The British Heart Foundation operate The Circuit - a national defibrillator network that provides a national overview of where defibrillators can be found making it easy to find your nearest Public Access Defibrillator.
