Cardiac arrests and defibrillators are more in the news than ever before. And in part that is a good thing. 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests happen each year in the U.K, and while defibrillator sales are increasing, the figure of survival is still around 1 in 10. Quite low, regardless of the growing awareness of defibrillators. Part of this problem is stock, but other part is awareness. It’s the latter we’re hoping to help with, with our Direct365 defibrillator buying guide.
At Direct365, we are celebrating Heart Rhythm Week 2023 by revamping our defibrillator buying guide, and using this space to help educate you on what defibrillator you need for your organisation. So, let’s begin.
What You Need to Know About Defibrillators
Defibrillators come in a few different types. There are four types of defibrillators you need to know about the most, coming in sets of two. These are:
Automated
Semi-Automatic
Automatic
Aid
Visual
Video
Audio
Automated: A semi-automatic defibrillator is on that will ask you to press a button to administer a shock. This button will be obvious, but will require an action to give the casualty a shock. The defibrillator will still analyse the heart rhythm of the patient, and tell you whether a shock is needed, but it is you who must press the button.
An automatic defib will do the process for you. Once you have followed the instructions of where to place the pads, the machine itself will do the heavy lifting, and will administer any shock that is needed. In essence, the automatic defibrillator takes the pressure off, while semi-automatic allows for control of giving out a shock.
Aid: There are defibrillators that have an audio aid, or a visual aid. These are two functions that you can decide on when buying a defib depending on what you think would be better for someone in an emergency.
The visual aid can be via a small screen with a video, or a sticker/card that explains the steps to use a defibrillator. Alternatively, the audio aid will be done through a speaker, with the defibrillator talking you through the process.
Defibrillator Brands
There are a number of trust defibrillator brands on the market. These are brands that are stocked by Direct365. These are:
Philips
Zoll
HeartSine
Mindray
Defibtech
Defibrillator Costs and Additional Overheads
Defibrillators have a range of costs. The difference in costs often reflect the additional features of each machine. For example, our Defibtech Lifeline VIEW Fully Automatic is an automatic machine with a visual video aid. These features are well sought after and more expensive, but they do give you additional value.
If you’re looking for a machine that’s towards the lower end of the price range, the HeartSine semi-automatic defibrillator is still a quality, life-saving device. With an illustrative demonstration of what you do, with lights signalling what to do and how, the device offers the same help, but in a different way.
For an example of a cost range for defibrillators in our store, our lowest cost defibrillator is £685 ex VAT, with the most expensive unit coming in at £3543.64 ex VAT. But there are a dozen or so additional machines in between those costs, with most coming in and around the £1000 mark. But that’s no cost when you could be saving a life.
Shelf Life of all Things Defibrillators
When you buy a defibrillator, there are a few parts that come with the machine that have a certain shelf life. The machine itself will continue working consistently, but there are parts that will need replacing within the unit itself. Below are the average replenish times of defibrillator parts:
Battery – average of 4/5 years shelf life.
Pads – Approx. 2 year shelf life.
Cabinet – Until worn/damaged beyond use (usually a long time).
Carry case – Until it is unusable (depending on whether it’s used).
Infant/child key – Until damaged (should last a long time if rarely used).
Rescue ready kit – Kit will need to be replenished by individual part as and when needed.
Keyword Explainer
There are a number of words and terms that the general public may not understand. To help simplify things, here’s a list of defibrillator keywords to help explain:
Defibrillation – defibrillation is often used interchangeably with defibrillator/defibrillating. Defibrillation is the act of giving the heart a shock to push it back into a normal rhythm.
AED – AED stands for automated external defibrillator.
Cardiac arrest vs heart attack – A cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating normally and the person stops breathing normally. A heart attack is when the blood stops flowing to the heart, stopping the supply.
An easy way to categorise these is that a cardiac arrest is electrical and a heart attack is plumbing.
Automatic defibrillator – an automatic defibrillator will administer the shock for you. You don’t need to press a button to give out a shock.
Semi-automatic defibrillator – this is the opposite of an automatic defibrillator. These machines require you to administer the shock by pressing a button. The defibrillator will still tell you whether a shock is needed – so you don’t have to decide that – you simply press the button when told.
CPR – CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This is what’s done while attending a cardiac arrest patient. You’ll know it as the method of pushing on a patients chest and potentially giving assisted breaths.
SCA – SCA stands for sudden cardiac arrest. It’s the same as a cardiac arrest, just said a different way.
Defibrillators we Provide
Direct365 provide a wide range of defibrillators from a range of brands that are dedicated to seeing cardiac health improved, and survival rates increased across the country. To do this, communities up and down the country will need to put more defibrillators closer to people that are going to use them. If our defibrillator buying guide has helped you understand more, then why not consider investing in one of these machines. To see Direct365’s range of defibrillators, click the image below.
