What is SCA?
People often confuse Sudden Cardiac Arrests (SCAs) with heart attacks. A heart attack occurs when circulation issues block blood flow to the heart, whereas SCA occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly.
So, a heart attack can be seen as somewhat of a “plumbing problem”, while SCA is more like an “electrical problem”.
SCAs are severely fatal, as they halt blood flow to the brain and other organs. Sudden is in the name for a reason: SCA can affect anyone at any time, no matter what age they are or health condition they’re in.
SCA Statistics
Heart related conditions are a leading cause of premature death, claiming lives worldwide.
In cases of SCA, death occurs within minutes if the victim doesn’t receive treatment. For every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 7-10%.
With bystander intervention and treatment with a defibrillator, the chance of survival triples.
*Statistics provided by Philips to Direct365 via a 2020 infographic.
How to Save a Life
Defibrillators aren’t exclusive to trained personnel, they’re designed for anybody to use. Most victims will die if not treated within minutes; this is why defibrillators are made to be safe, efficient and user-friendly. These devices only shock when a victim needs to be shocked, so taking action can only help rather than pose further harm.
Save a life with quick action: contact emergency services, perform CPR and use the nearest defibrillator.
Business Expectations
Defibrillators must be readily available even outside of healthcare environments. 70-80% of SCAs occur outside the hospital, which highlights the need for easily accessible defibrillators in as many locations as possible.
If you’re in the position to stock your business or premises with a defibrillator, then you can help save a life.
Ethical expectations weigh heavy on all sorts of businesses when it comes to defibrillator availability. Take a moment to think about your Duty of Care, your ability to instil trust in staff and visitors and the possibility of SCA striking you or someone in your workplace.
Legislation change has been considered in recent years to make defibrillators mandatory. It seems that it’s only a matter of time until UK businesses will be legally expected to create a radius of defibrillator availability.
Defibrillators from Direct365
Make sure you get your defibrillator from a reliable source.
At Direct365, our product range features various trusted suppliers. Choose from semi-automatic and fully-automatic devices, without or without carry cases, as well as replacement pads, training units, secure cabinets and more – all at reasonable prices.