Heartstart trainees are shocked!

 

Heartstart Thatcham recently welcomed their newest member of the team, AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Little Anne, which has been purchased largely due to sponsorship from Laerdal Medical and Thatcham Rotary Club, in addition to a great deal of fundraising. The welcome was made at their latest training event held at, and for members of, Donnington Valley Golf Club.

Scheme Coordinator, Dr Nick Young, noted that in the event of a Cardiac Arrest getting CPR started and an AED to the scene are vital and time critical, the sooner CPR is started, the better the chance of survival is. Without any intervention, CPR and/or an AED, the chances of a casualty surviving a Cardiac Arrest decrease by approximately 10% for every minute that passes and thus why it is so vital that someone steps in and takes action.

All of the trainees, which included John Smart who is responsible for having the AED installed in Thatcham, at the event were able to try the AED for themselves. Each were given a slightly different scenario, asked to attach the AED to the casualty and deliver a shock. The trainees were a little apprehensive at first, but soon became comfortable learning first hand that the AED will not deliver a shock unless it is needed and thus not being able to harm the casualty any further, but potentially being able to save their life.

Nick was keen to point out that practical AED is not part of the standard Heartstart course, the Thatcham Heartstart team have had to lease with the British Heart Foundation and to be able to offer this as an extension to the course. Scheme Director, David Hamer from South Central Ambulance Service, together with the Training Supervisor, Naomi Mildenhall from Thatcham Neighbourhood Wardens, and Scheme Coordinator, Nick Young, have been planning this addition for some time, all three now delighted to have this extension to the course in place.

Heartstart Thatcham teaches basic Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills to the public, for free and covers, currently the areas around Thatcham and Newbury, but can go further afield if required. Topics covered include:

• Priorities/the conscious casualty

• The unconscious casualty

• Cardiac arrest

• Suspected heart attack

• Choking

The team will be at several local events including the Thatcham Volunteer Fair on 22nd March for people who want to learn more and are planning to let people come and see the AED in action, training, at the Thatcham Family Fun Day in June.

Photographs by Naomi Mildenhall.