Life Saving Technology The Defibrillator Part 1 of 2

Robbie Ferguson: Carrie is away this week. So we wanted to have her as part of the show. So the unique way to be able to do that is this week we actually went on site at Saint John Ambulance in Barry and we met with a lady named Mia who sat down and actually showed us how to use the ‘Defibrillator Technology’, which is basically like, you know, those shock boxes that allow you to defibrillate a heart. Christy Burton: In love. Robbie Ferguson: Basically save a life using an amazing easy-to-use technology, like, I’ve always been intimidated by this technology. If I was at the pool or something and I saw somebody go down, I don’t know that I would be brave enough to grab that thing off the wall. Christy Burton: I’d be afraid that I would kill them. Robbie Ferguson: Well, I just didn’t, it’s like one of those things that if you don’t know, if you’ve never seen it used, if you’re not sure how it works, it’s intimidating. It’s such a piece of technology that, well, you know. Could I hurt somebody or should I just leave it to somebody who knows, or, so it’s nice to actually have an idea of how that works. Carrie Webb: So we are here today at Saint John Ambulance with Mia. Mia is the AED coordinator for Saint John Ambulance and she is here to talk to us a little bit about how technology is saving lives everyday. Your heart works by electrical impulses. So there are specialized cells in your heart that trigger the pumping activity by sending these electrical impulses. And most people go by day to day never giving any thought to this until it stops working and then it becomes really important to them. So Mia is going to help us understand how to get the heart pumping again using technology. Here is Mia. Mia Kelly: Ok, so, what we want to do is we want to look for a defibrillator, an AED. They’ll be on the wall at an arena, at schools, at the shopping mall, wherever it is, wherever somebody goes down. So as soon as the person hits the floor, and you’ve realized that they are in fact unconscious and we touch them, ‘Are you ok? You are unconscious’, then we want to send for 911 immediately and what we also need is we need the AED to come as quickly as possible, the defibrillator to come as possible. For every minute that they are on the floor and they are not being shot by the defibrillator, they are losing ten percent chance of survival. So if the ambulance doesn’t come for eight, nine, 10 minutes, that’s… Robbie Ferguson: 80 or 90 percent. Mia Kelly: Right, right. So it’s really important that you get the machine there as quickly as possible. You do not need to be trained to get the machine off the wall and get started. The key to using a defibrillator is follow the prompts. Do what the machine tells you to do. So as long as you know at least a little bit of CPR, we can’t harm the casualty with the defibrillator. We can’t kill him. He is dead if we’re using, doing the CPR. Ok, so there’s nothing we can do to harm him. The only thing that we can do is harm the people who near him, if somebody is touching him while I shock him. So as long as I’m not touching we are good to go. Carrie Webb: Ok, so obviously the AED is going to deliver a shock. Can you just explain how this system works and what, why we’re going to use it? Mia Kelly: Ok, so what the machine does is the machine does not detect whether he has a pulse or he does not have a pulse. What the machine is going to do is it is going to, once you put the pads on, it’s going to read the casualty. If the heart is not beating, it still has an electrical activity that you are talking about a little bit earlier. So the machine is not, or the heart is not beating, it has some electrical activity, the machine is then programmed to recognize the electrical activity. So it’s not beating, there’s no pulse, but it is quivering. So what the machine does is it then shocks, with probably about 360 Joules, through the casualty. It shocks the heart into stopping the quivering to actually allow the heart to kick in on its own, using its own pacemaker. So, in fact, most people believe that the AED starts the heart but in fact the AED does not start the heart, it stops the misfire of the heart to allow the heart to kick it on its own. So when we arrive at the scene, we’re at the arena and a person drops in front of us. The first thing we want to do is to make sure the area is safe for yourself. You don’t want to go into anything that can be dangerous to yourself. So as long as I’m safe then I’m going to come in and I’m going to check the casualty and see if he’s conscious. Check him for consciousness first. So I’m just going to tap him, ‘Hey! Are you ok? Hey, can I help you?’ And there is no answer, so I’m immediately going to send somebody for 911 and to bring me back an AED if there’s one available. So while somebody is bringing me the defibrillator I’m checking breathing, I’m doing my two breaths and I’m starting my CPR until the machine arrives. The machine trumps the person so as soon as the machine arrives, I stop what I’m doing, I turn on my machine and I follow the prompts. So first thing I want to check on my casualties, I want to the ABCs. A -Airway, airway needs to be open and clear. So I do a head tilt, chin lift. So I’m going to tilt the head back, get the tongue off the back of the throat. Then I’m going to B - check for breathing. So I’m going down nice and close, check for breathing for 10 seconds. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. If he’s not breathing, I’m going to give him two breaths, block the nose, breathe, just enough air to make the chest rise. And the second breath, and then I would start right into CPR, chest compressions, 30 chest compressions, one and a half to two inches in depth. And I continue to do 30 compressions and two breaths until the AED arrives. As soon as the AED arrives, I stop what I’m doing, turn on the machine and I go from there. Assuming that we’ve done a little bit of CPR then we’re going to turn the machine on. Machine: Begin by removing all clothing from the patient’s chest. Cut clothing immediately. Mia Kelly: All machines come with a little bag and then you dump out your little bag and it has everything that you need. So you might need to have some scissors to cut the clothes. Machine: When patient’s chest is bare, remove protected cover and take out white adhesive pad. Mia Kelly: Pick out some gloves and a mask to protect my self. I would then dry the casualty. If the casualty is very hairy, I need to shave him first and then dry. Machine: Please pad exactly as shown in the picture. Press firmly to patient’s bare skin. Mia Kelly: So I followed the prompts, remove the cover, take out the pads. The pad has a picture. It shows me exactly where I need to put it, so I follow what the picture tells me. Machine: When the first pad is in place, look carefully on the picture on the second pad. Peel the second pad from the yellow plastic liner. Place pad exactly as shown in the picture. Press firmly to patient’s skin. Mia Kelly: Again there’s a picture. Machine: No one should touch the patient. Mia Kelly: So we need to move back. Machine: Analyzing. Mia Kelly: I’m clear. We all need to be clear. I do like to be a good 12 inches away. Machine: No one should touch the patient. Mia Kelly: So we’re all clear? Ok, don’t touch the patient. Stand clear. Machine: Analyzing. Shock advice. Stay clear... Mia Kelly: So we’re going to get ready to shock. I’m going to push the button but before I push it I must confirm no one’s near. Don’t touch him, I’m going to start shocking now. Machine: Shock delivered. Mia Kelly: Shock delivered. Machine: Be sure the emergency medical services had been called.) Mia Kelly: We called already so we’re good. Machine: It is safe to touch the patient. Begin CPR. For help with CPR, press the flashing blue button. Mia Kelly: So I’ll push the flashing blue button because I might be confused. Machine: Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest, between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the first. Push the chest down firmly two inches. Keep plying with the beat. Mia Kelly: Elbows straight, heel of the hand down the center of the chest, pushing down from one and a half to two inches for an adult casualty. Machine: Pinch nose, tilt head and give two full breaths. Breathe. Breathe. Continue with compressions. Mia Kelly: So we follow the prompts. Do what the machine tells us. Again this is an adult casualty, anybody over eight years of age, but I can also do it on a child from age one to eight. We can’t hurt the casualty because he’s already dead so anything we can do is better than what he is. Just do what it says until whoever is trained who takes over for you. Machine: Pinch nose, tilt head and give two full breaths. Breathe. Carrie Webb: So even if you don’t know CPR, this machine is going to tell you what to do very calmly because this can be a really stressful situation. So it just walks you through the process. Are all AEDs like this? Mia Kelly: No, not exactly like this. They all push the button for shock but they don’t al tell you what to do for the CPR. Machine: Stop CPR. Mia Kelly: Oh, stop CPR. Machine: No one should stop the patient. Mia Kelly: Ok, so let’s move back. Machine: Analyzing. Mia Kelly: Are you clear? Stand clear. Don’t touch the casualty. Robbie Ferguson: Clear! Mia Kelly: You can. Machine: Shock advice. Mia Kelly: Oh shock advice, stand clear. Get your finger ready. Before you push it, make sure no one’s standing. I’m going to shock him. Don’t touch him. Shocking now. Machine: Shock delivered. It is safe to touch the patient. Begin CPR. For help on CPR… Mia Kelly: And then we just keep going.