Speaker - Paul Buckley of St. John Ambulance - How to use a defibrillator

Paul Buckley the area representative for St. John Ambulance came to tell us how a defibrillator is used. He brought with him the defibrillator that we gave to St John Ambulance a few month ago. While he was with us we presented him with a cheque for £1,000 to purchase a second unit complete with a spare battery.

Paul explained that a defibrillator should more accurately be called an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). He then gave a brief demonstaration of what should be done:

1. Call 999
If you see someone collapse, immediately call 999 and get the paramedics en route. If there are other people around, choose someone specific and instruct them to call 999 and explain the situation. This decreases confusion about who should do what and ensures that the call is being placed.

2. Check the victim's breathing and airway
If someone has collapsed, you should immediately determine whether they are breathing. If the victim is breathing, you know that they have a pulse. If the victim is not breathing, check the airway is clear then begin CPR by giving 30 chest compressions at a depth of one third (1/3) of the chest thickness and then give 2 breaths.

3. Locate an AED
If there is an AED nearby, ask a bystander bring the AED to you while you continue CPR. Apply the AED electrode pads to the bare chest of the victim and follow the prompts as instructed. Uninterrupted CPR is an important factor in increasing the recovery rate of cardiac arrest patients.

4. Turn on the AED
Follow the prompts of the AED

5. Attach the electrode pads to patients bare chest
First ensure that the adhesive AED pads are attached to a cable, which is plugged into the AED machine. Then bare the victim's chest and attach the adhesive AED pads in the appropriate locations. The AED should include a diagram (typically on the adhesive pads themselves) indicating where each pad placed on the patients chest. It is important not to touch the victim while the AED is "analysing" as it may detect your heart rhythm.