Why defibrillators play an essential part in our critical care

We had a catch-up with paramedic Jake to find out more about why defibrillators play an essential part in our critical care:

What type of defibrillators do you carry on board the aircraft and rapid response vehicles?

We have a corpuls3 monitor and defibrillator, which is a combined unit that monitors a patient’s condition, including displaying vital signs like heart rhythm, and a defibrillator, capable of delivering electrical shocks to a cardiac patient’s heart.

In addition to this we carry a Schiller FRED EasyPort Pocket Defibrillator, which is a small, lightweight, portable defibrillator that meets all the requirements of a regular defibrillator.

How are the defibrillators powered?

The corpuls3 defibrillators have three modules which are the monitor unit, patient box and defibrillator. Each of these modules is fitted with an identical rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

The Schiller FRED Easyport Defibrillator uses a non-rechargeable, disposable lithium battery which has a stand-by life of five years or 2.5 years inserted in the defibrillator.

Why are defibrillators used?

If someone is suffering a cardiac arrest, it means the person’s heart has suddenly stopped pumping blood around their body, and their breathing will be irregular and may stop.

In this scenario, every second counts, and defibrillation is an important step in the chain of survival to give the person the best chance of making a recovery.

Early recognition of a cardiac arrest and calling 999 is the first step in the chain of survival, followed by early CPR, early defibrillation, and advanced life-support provided by medics.

How does a defibrillator work?

A defibrillator works by analysing the patient’s heart to decipher whether the heart is in a shockable rhythm. The two shockable rhythms are known as Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) or Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia (PVT).

If the defibrillator finds a shockable rhythm (VF or PVT), it will deliver a shock to the heart to stop the abnormal rhythm.

In what scenario would you use a portable defibrillator?

One of the areas we cover is the Lake District, which attracts millions of visitors per year. The mountainous landscape can be treacherous, and we often see a spike in incidents in this location during the summer. The undulating peaks and valleys can often mean the helicopter is unable to safely land close to the patient, and sometimes we have to travel additional distances on foot in order to reach the scene of an incident.

The portable defibrillator is a good alternative to carrying a corpuls3, as it’s incredibly lightweight and small enough to fit inside a pocket so it’s easy to transport if we need to walk somewhere.

How many cardiac-related incidents did you attend last year?

Cardiac arrests are one of the most common types of incidents we attend. Last year our team responded to 576 cardiac-related incidents in the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Northumberland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

How can people support GNAAS to ensure you can continue to help keep hearts beating across the region?

We’ve been a registered charity since 2002 and rely on public donations to survive. We currently need to raise £9.3m a year to remain operational, which is a huge task, and we’re incredibly appreciative of everyone who has supported us over the years.

We’d be really grateful if you could contribute to our latest fundraiser on Facebook to help purchase a new defibrillator battery. Any donation, big or small, really adds up, and enables us to continue helping critically ill or injured people in the North of England and the Isle of Man.