Anyone can experience a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) regardless of age. Sadly, children also suffer from Sudden Cardiac Arrest and 12 people under the age of 35 die each week in the UK from SCA. Of these, 270 children will die at school each year as a result of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
Every school should be equipped with a life-saving defibrillator. For every minute that passes without CPR and a shock from a defibrillator, a person in cardiac arrest loses 10% of their chance of survival.
According to the Resuscitation Council, approximately 200 cardiac arrest incidents occur daily in the UK. Unfortunately, 90-95% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) are fatal due to a lack of immediate and effective treatment. These statistics can be improved with knowledge of CPR and having access to defibrillators.
Defibrillators for Schools
By having available defibrillators and students and staff trained in CPR, your school can make a life-saving difference.
defibshop offers custom defibrillator packages for schools to include everything needed to make your environment heart safe. These packages include the appropriate signage for a school, as well as a storage option to ensure visibility and protection. This offering includes a range of selected defibrillators for schools due to their paediatric function, saving time in an emergency.
Although SCA does not discriminate, there are certain factors that put people at a higher risk of suffering a cardiac arrest. This includes existing medical conditions. The statutory guidance on supporting pupils at schools with medical conditions advises schools to consider purchasing a defibrillator as part of their first aid equipment.
Hereditary heart conditions are said to account for about two-thirds of all SCA cases in young people. This includes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that causes the muscular walls of the heart's ventricles to become thickened. HCM is the most common cause of heart-related death in athletes and young people under 30, affecting around 1 in 500 young people, and is rarely diagnosed in advance of a cardiac emergency.
Whilst we cannot predict Sudden Cardiac Arrest, we can prepare for it with CPR knowledge and ensuring every location is equipped with a life-saving defibrillator.
Considerations for Your Schools Defibrillator
Defibrillators have been designed to be used by anyone, regardless of whether or not they have received any prior training. Voice prompts and visual cues from the device guide the rescuer through the process to make it as simple as possible. We still recommend CPR and AED training to ensure staff members are familiar with the defibrillator and confident in what to do in an emergency.
Where you choose to locate your defibrillator is an important factor to consider as you must ensure your defibrillator is easy to access in an emergency. Storage and signage highlights the presence of a defibrillator and protects the device against damage and theft. Some schools may decide to have a number of defibrillators to ensure easy access to a device from anywhere on the school premises.
When treatment is delivered within 3-5 minutes of the cardiac arrest taking place, the chance of survival can increase from 6% to 74%. The main reason that just 5-10% of people who experience an SCA survive is due to a lack of quick defibrillation. Ideally, you should always be no further than a 3-minute round trip from a defibrillator at all times.
More Information
For further information, visit our Resource Centre for topics surrounding SCA and defibrillators. Do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about choosing a defibrillator for your school.
defibshop are committed to equipping everyone with the skills and knowledge to save a life. Speak to one of our Product Specialists on 0161 776 7422 or fill out our Contact Form.
