Sudden Cardiac Arrest kills over 200 young people every year.

Heart complications are not something you would usually think about with a healthy and active child. However, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) does not discriminate and affects people of all ages and fitness levels. There is often no obvious cause or prior symptoms that the victim or their family knew about. One moment a child could be happily playing with their friends before a sudden medical emergency occurs.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the abrupt, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. It occurs when an electrical malfunction in the heart causes it to suddenly stop beating and pumping blood effectively. The victim becomes unresponsive as vital organs such as the brain and lungs are deprived of blood and oxygen. Without treatment, SCA can be fatal within minutes.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone at any time and anywhere, often without warning. That’s why it’s important for schools to have quick access to an automated external defibrillator (AED). Young lives can be saved with a combination of CPR and early defibrillation. Many AEDs are designed so they can easily be switched to a “child mode” which makes them suitable for any medical emergency.

There is no specific requirement for schools in Australia to be equipped with an AED, but survival rates dramatically increase when a device is ready at hand. You are 70% more likely to survive if treated with a defibrillator within a few minutes of SCA. Chest compressions and rescue breathing are important in the chain of survival, but early defibrillation is the only definitive treatment to restore a normal heart rhythm, even if administered by an untrained bystander using a school AED.

You Need A Simple-To-Use School Defibrillator!

A good AED for schools is designed so that even a young person with no first aid experience is able to use it. Every quality school defibrillator should:

• Tell you how to use it, while you use it.
• Only deliver an electric shock when it detects a shock is required.
• Tell you how to perform effective CPR based on real-time blood flow detection.

AEDs are designed so that anyone from first responders to untrained bystanders can respond confidently and appropriately to cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. AEDs are simple to operate and pose no risk to either the rescuer or the victim when used properly and with appropriate precautions.

AEDs can safely be used on children from 1 to 8 years old with paediatric pads and from 8 years and above with the standard adult pads. When analysing infants or children, the AED will automatically calculate and adjust the shock voltage to suit the weight and chest wall thickness of the victim.

Undetected arrhythmia affects 2% of young people.

Take action to protect them now!

Safety should always be the top priority in schools. They are equipped with fire extinguishers and smoke detectors to protect students in the event of a fire, but there is currently no specific legislation for AEDS to be required in schools. Sudden cardiac death does not discriminate. It can affect people of all ages and fitness levels without warning which is why every school needs an AED to help save a life.

Facts and figures

• Over 4 young people die every week in Australia from sudden cardiac arrest
• Over 500 adults die every week in Australia from sudden cardiac arrest
• Every minute that passes without defibrillation and CPR reduces chance of survival by 10%
• After 4 minutes without defibrillation and CPR you risk irreversible damage
• After 10 minutes without defibrillation and CPR – it’s all over
• After 12 minutes the ambulance arrives, according to average ambulance response times
• SCA strikes suddenly and time is of the essence for the chances of surviving

It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere

Is your school equipped with a Defibrillator / AED? Do you have an additional AED to take to the next athletics carnival? More and more schools are investing in the safety of their students by purchasing an AED for kids. We have an industry-specific school AED distributor ready to help you.

Our overall package with options such as paediatric pads and economical wall cabinets combined with an 8–year AED warranty is ideally suited to schools. With 5 young people dying every week in Australia from Sudden Cardiac Arrest, more and more schools are investing in a HeartSine Samaritan Defibrillator. A school defibrillator can be equipped with either child or adult pads so it is ready for use in any emergency situation that could arise within the school grounds.

Don’t know how to use a defibrillator? Our AEDs can be used by anyone. They feature visual and verbal instructions in using the AED and how to effectively perform CPR. Our school AEDs will only deliver a shock if they detect a shock is required to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. There is no need for the rescuer to push a button.

Contact Aero Healthcare now for more information and a free quote to purchase a school defibrillator.