TY - JOUR
T1 - Coles and Woolworths have installed public access defibrillators in all their stores
T2 - It is time other Australian businesses followed their lead
AU - Haskins, Brian
AU - Nehme, Ziad
AU - Cameron, Peter
AU - Bernard, Stephen
AU - Parker-Stebbing, Laura
AU - Smith, Karen
PY - 2020/2
Y1 - 2020/2
N2 - We welcome the recent announcement by Coles and Woolworths that public access defibrillators (PADs) are now available in their stores, as early defibrillation with PADs is associated with significantly increased survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). From 2008 to 2018 there were 120 OHCAs in Victorian supermarkets, overall 26.6% survived; however, when defibrillated by a PAD 66.6% survived. For all OHCA in Victoria, survival for defibrillation by a PAD was also higher at 55.5%, compared to 28.8% for paramedic defibrillation. Using this state-wide PAD survival rate, we estimate an additional 12 patients could have survived had PADs been available in all supermarkets. In Victoria last year there were 421 potentially viable OHCAs in public locations, of these 132 patients survived; however, had PADs been available an additional 101 patients could have survived. We therefore strongly encourage local businesses to install PADs, to safeguard the well-being of their employees, customers and local communities.
AB - We welcome the recent announcement by Coles and Woolworths that public access defibrillators (PADs) are now available in their stores, as early defibrillation with PADs is associated with significantly increased survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). From 2008 to 2018 there were 120 OHCAs in Victorian supermarkets, overall 26.6% survived; however, when defibrillated by a PAD 66.6% survived. For all OHCA in Victoria, survival for defibrillation by a PAD was also higher at 55.5%, compared to 28.8% for paramedic defibrillation. Using this state-wide PAD survival rate, we estimate an additional 12 patients could have survived had PADs been available in all supermarkets. In Victoria last year there were 421 potentially viable OHCAs in public locations, of these 132 patients survived; however, had PADs been available an additional 101 patients could have survived. We therefore strongly encourage local businesses to install PADs, to safeguard the well-being of their employees, customers and local communities.
KW - automated external defibrillator
KW - out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
KW - public access defibrillator
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85076781573&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1742-6723.13429
DO - 10.1111/1742-6723.13429
M3 - Article
C2 - 31820576
AN - SCOPUS:85076781573
VL - 32
SP - 166
EP - 168
JO - Emergency Medicine Australasia
JF - Emergency Medicine Australasia
SN - 1742-6731
IS - 1
ER -