The Waikanae Downs community recently celebrated the installation of a defibrillator which can be a lifesaver in rural communities.
Cardiac arrest gives no warning and no second chances. The single biggest factor in survival is how quickly a defibrillator reaches the patient, and that is decided long before the emergency, by whoever chose to put an AED on the wall (or in the case, the fence).
Some facts:
- 1,500+ New Zealanders suffer sudden cardiac arrest in the community every year (NZ Heart Foundation).
- Survival drops 7 to 10% per minute without defibrillation (ANZCOR).
- Defibrillation within 3 minutes gives the best chance of survival, a window ambulance response usually cannot meet.
- Survival can more than double when immediate CPR and an AED are used together before the ambulance arrives.
Most cardiac arrests happen where people live, work and play, in front of bystanders who could act if the equipment were there.
So, congratulations to the Waikanae Downs community volunteers for installing this life-saving equipment.
