A defibrillator is a life-saving device that gives a high-energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest. The high-energy shock is called defibrillation and is essential for treating an individual in cardiac arrest.
When a person experiences a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), normal heart rhythm becomes disrupted, their heart doesn't beat properly and they become unable to breathe as normal. Without immediate attention, it is likely the person will die.
A defibrillator works by providing a high-energy shock to the heart to restore the heart's natural rhythm and enable it to beat normally again. Defibrillators are simple to use by either trained or untrained users, and are often the difference between life and death.
For every minute that passes following a cardiac arrest without treatment, a casualties chance of survival decreases by 10%.
If someone becomes unresponsive and they are not breathing normally, you must act fast. Unresponsiveness, abnormal breathing and no movement or sign of life all indicate that a person could be in cardiac arrest. A defibrillator should be used to analyse the heart, it will only shock if it is required. You do not need to be trained to use a defibrillator. The device guides you through each step of the rescue to make the process as simple as possible for any user.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest strikes anyone, any time or place. If you ever witness a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, knowing what to do could save a life.
The following steps give someone experiencing SCA the best chance of survival. To help a person in cardiac arrest you should:
We are encouraging everyone to register their defibrillator with The Circuit. When you register your defibrillator on The Circuit, the location of the defibrillator and readiness status is instantly synchronised with the emergency services' systems to ensure the information is kept up to date and ready to help save lives.
Effective treatment from a defibrillator, combined with CPR within the first 3-5 minutes of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest taking place boosts survival chances from approximately 6-74%. Just 1 in 10 people survive cardiac arrest, often due to a lack of immediate, effective treatment.
It's important to know when to use a defibrillator. There are some situations - even in the event of a cardiac arrest - that the use of a defibrillator may be unwarranted, ineffective, or unnecessary. Whilst no harm can be done by a defibrillator when it is not required, it's worth bearing the following situations in mind:
Some scenarios might require you to take additional precautionary measures before treating someone in cardiac arrest:
Anyone can use a defibrillator to provide treatment to someone in cardiac arrest. Do not hesitate to get in touch to find out more about Sudden Cardiac Arrest and defibrillators.
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.