Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of sudden death in Australia, ahead of prostate cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer and road deaths. Over 30,000 people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest every single year and 75% of these occur outside of the hospital setting. A significant proportion of these fatalities occur in the workplace. Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone - anywhere.
So, what do you need to know?
What is an AED?
An Automated Electrical Defibrillator (AED) sends a measured electric shock (defibrillation) through a person’s heart. When electrical activity resumes, the aim is for the heart to return back to the usual coordinated fashion and effective pumping can occur. An AED will not administer a shock to a person’s heart if it is not needed.
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is when the heart rhythm becomes chaotic. It usually results from a disturbance in your heart that disrupts its pumping action, stopping the blood flow to your brain and the rest of your body.
It’s a medical emergency that, if not treated immediately, will result in death within a few minutes. Worldwide, seven million people are impacted annually, and only 12% of people currently survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
What are the signs of cardiac arrest?
A person in cardiac arrest will fall unconscious and will not be breathing normally. This is because blood is not being pumped through the heart to the brain, lungs or other organs. This is different from a heart attack. A person having a heart attack will usually be conscious and report symptoms such as the feeling of pain or heavy pressure in their chest or arms, that may spread to their neck, jaw or back. They may also feel a cold sweat and/or nausea. A heart attack can progress into a cardiac arrest.
Greg Page - A Case Study
Greg Page - more commonly known as the original yellow Wiggle himself - had a serious incident in January 2020 while performing at a bushfire relief concert. While walking off stage, he suffered from sudden cardiac arrest, and it was only through the quick actions of a nurse in the audience and a defibrillator on-site that Page managed to survive.
“The last thing I remember is laying on the ground struggling to breathe, but after having just done a full on Wiggles show that wasn’t unusual. Little did I know that could have been my last few breaths.”
Page, during an interview with A Current Affair, talked about how terrifying - and how unexpected - the event was.
“I had no warning signs or pre-existing symptoms that something could go wrong. If anything I was working out harder to prepare for the show - I was walking quicker, going to the gym, making sure I was as fit as I could be not knowing that there was a ticking time bomb in there.”
Even somebody fit and actively working on their health can be hit by sudden cardiac arrest. Page would never have expected a heart attack to hit him, but if there wasn't a defibrillator on scene, the yellow Wiggle could have easily died that night. Needing three shocks from the defibrillator, his chances of survival without it were anything from slim to none.
Unfortunately, there are 30,000 other Greg Pages out there every year who aren't as lucky and suffer from cardiac arrest without an AED nearby, leading to many otherwise-preventable lost lives.
Seven Simple Tips Everybody Should Know:
- It is recommended AED’s are located WITHIN 90 SECONDS of a patient. If you cannot get to an AED from your location at work, you could be at serious risk.
- Many Australian work sites DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH AED’s IN REACH OF STAFF – especially those on vast work sites.
- If you are experiencing sudden cardiac arrest and you receive a shock from an AED within 3 minutes your SURVIVAL RATE INCREASES TO 75%.
- After that, your survival rate DECREASES BY 10% EACH MINUTE. After 4 minutes, you have a 60% survival rate. After 8 minutes, you have a 20% survival rate.
- Most AED’s are portable and CAN BE PLACED IN VEHICLES. Check the manufacturer details.
- AED’s ARE EXTREMELY EASY TO USE. WorkSafe Victoria states that anyone with access to an AED can safely step in to handle a cardiac arrest crisis.
- The average ambulance response time in Australia is between 8-12 minutes. If you call an ambulance the moment somebody experiences sudden cardiac arrest, they will have, on average, a 0-20% of survival without other assistance.
Who can use an AED?
Anybody. Current AEDs have clear voice prompts and pictures to ensure any person, no matter their qualifications, can use them. If you can follow a GPS, you can use an AED. They even provide CPR instructions. They are designed to save lives, no matter the situation.
70% of all bystander CPR is ineffectively performed and this includes both lay and trained rescuers. This is because the rescuer has no way to make clinical determinations as to whether their compressions are actually effective, making the RD500 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator one of the most reliable defibrillators on the market. It is unique in its capability to offer patient-specific CPR feedback, which actively monitors the condition of the patient and tells the user to push harder, faster or slower to ensure the highest chances of effective treatment. Being semi-automatic, the defibrillator is operated using two simple buttons, and utilises a sophisticated patient analysis system to determine if defibrillation is required.
What if I'm not sure?
An AED, according to WorkSafe Victoria, will not administer a shock to a person’s heart if it is not needed. If the person is conscious, they do not need an AED, and if they are unconscious but still breathing normally, they do not need an AED. It is advised you contact emergency services and follow their guidance on the matter. If they are suffering cardiac arrest, you cannot hurt them more than the cardiac arrest will. Very few people can survive a cardiac arrest without assistance. It is imperative a workplace has sufficient AEDs on hand.
