Page 46 - SMI Issue 62

Medical SupplyKeeping an AED onboard could turn outto be a life-saverThe pressures of modern living mean the risks of having a heart attack – whether on land or at sea –are now greater than they have ever been before. And when it happens the sufferer may have had no inkling or warning signs of the attack and no local support mechanism or means of contacting the emergency services – particularly at sea.Enter the defibrillator. This compact device which is about the size of a TV remote and weighs around a kilo, delivers a potentially life-saving shock to the sufferer and helps to restore his or her normal heart rhythms. Crucially if a victim receives defibrillation within the vital first three minutes of an attack their chances of survival increase by up to 70%Defibrillators – or to give them their official title automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – are very simple to use for any user – whether crew member onboard a ship or a member of the public on land – and need no specialist training. In extreme cases using an AED may be the only chance of survival for the sufferer of a heart attack onboard a ship.AEDs are increasingly found in such public places as airports and railway stations and remote locations that are far from the emergency services. And as the shipping industry grows ever busier and more sophisticated the need fordevices like AEDs continues to rise. It is also paramount that theirdesign and mobility suits the sometimes harshconditions of life at sea.Recent figures show that men are three timesmore likely to die of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) than women and the risk increases significantly after the aged of 45.While research by BIMCO/ISFManagement shows that more than 50% of ships’ officers from countriesin the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are over the age of 40 and 25% aged 50 plus, putting them at particular riskof SCA.Two companieswhich produceAEDs speciallyfor seafarers andofficers are MartekMarine and AeroHealthcare. Bothcompanies’ devices arecompact, all-in-one units with neat,easy-to-use pads and bright oversized operating buttons.One key feature of these AEDs is that they are rigorously tested and have the highest safety rating against damage from dust or water seepage. They are also extra-robust with rubberised corners to withstand the roughest of weather conditions and storms at sea and, in line with Ministry of Defence rules, drop-tested for heights of up to 1.2 metres.The Martek Marine defibrillator – known as the Lifeforce AED – is type approved by classification society GL, is semi- automatic and has an eight-year warranty. Aero Healthcare has three versions of its maritime defibrillator. Two of them – the HeartSine Samaritan PAD 500P and HeartSine SamaritanPAD 350P – are semi-automatic, while a third, the HeartSine Samaritan 360P, is fully automised. All three have 10-year warranties and their pads and batteries are held in compact packs and have four-year lifespans.Another vital feature of these AEDS is that they can automatically detect when a person needs defibrillation and so ensure that treatment is only delivered when needed. They also carry clear verbal and visual instructions to guide crew members through each step of the rescue process. u44 |The Ship Supplier | Issue 70 2016