DEFIBRILLATORS will be installed in public places and will start operating in March in an effort to save people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.
The automated external defibrillators (AED) will be handled by specially trained volunteers.
Defibrillators are devices that give out electricity in the form of a shock to the heart to restore the heart to a normal rhythm after cardiac arrest.
There are defibrillators in hospitals, but modern technology has allowed the construction of smaller devices that can be placed in public places, ready for use by trained personnel.
Health Minister Christos Patsalides yesterday said that “cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, any time and under any circumstances… In busy places such as government buildings, hotels, airports, ports, sports centres and elsewhere, there is increased chance of a cardiac arrest.
“The Health Ministry in collaboration with the Cyprus Resuscitation Council (KYSAN) submitted to the House the proposal for the bill for the use and installation of AED in public places… According to the legislation, a specialised officer will be appointed to deal with issues of resuscitation, to advise and oversee the installation and use of AED in public spaces…Training the staff and the public will be part of the priorities of the Health Ministry.”
According to Patsalides, the Health Ministry “subsidises and supports the training programmes organised by KYSAN, whether aimed at health professionals or the public, and provides conveniences to employees who participate in the programmes, either as trainers or trainees.”
“The policy of the Ministry is to continue to support the effort and the initiative of KYSAN to improve the quality and effectiveness of treatment of cardiac arrest both inside and outside the hospital.”
KYSAN President Marios Georgiou said “that approximately 800 incidents of cardiac arrest a year take place in Cyprus outside the hospital.”
Georgiou said that, “In the UK, the National Defibrillator Programme with 2,300 saved 59 lives in one year.”
According to the legislation, public services, organisations or private business that have more than 500 employees have to install an AED. “Private institutions who wish to install AEDs will do so with their own money,” Patsalides said.
An AED is external, because the operator applies the electrode pads to the bare chest of the victim, as opposed to internal defibrillators, which have electrodes surgically implanted inside the body of a patient.
Automatic refers to the unit’s ability to autonomously analyse the patient’s condition, and to assist this, the vast majority of units have spoken prompts, and some may also have visual displays to instruct the user.
Unlike regular defibrillators, an automated external defibrillator requires minimal training to use. It automatically diagnoses the heart rhythm and determines if a shock is needed. Automatic models will administer the shock without the user’s command. Semi-automatic models will tell the user that a shock is needed, but the user must tell the machine to do so, usually by pressing a button. In most circumstances, the user cannot override a “no shock” advisory by an AED. Some AEDs may be used on children – those under 55 lbs (25 kg) in weight or under the age of eight.
