University's defib push
Published: 17 April 2014
A University-wide campaign is underway to station potentially life-saving heart defibrillators around the Campuses.
A University-wide campaign is underway to station potentially life-saving heart defibrillators around the Campuses. At the same time, training sessions on the machines and also cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) technique are scheduled to run right through May. They have been a near ‘sell-out’ and most places are currently taken.
There are around 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every year. When someone goes into cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chances of survival by 10 per cent.
Dr Val Fallon, who teaches human anatomy at the University in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, is trying to raise awareness of both the defibrillator machines and also the value of learning CPR. Val works on a voluntary basis with the Scottish Ambulance Service as a First Responder and is also a British Heart Foundation “Heartstart” Instructor and a Defibrillator Trainer.
She said: “Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the major causes of premature death. But with immediate treatment many lives can be saved. Cardiac arrests happen because the electrical rhythm that controls the heart is replaced by a chaotic disorganised electrical rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). The quicker VF can be treated by defibrillation the greater the chance of successful resuscitation. Seconds count, and the ambulance service is unlikely to arrive quickly enough to resuscitate most victims.”
During May, it is expected that about 70 members of University staff (from security, engineering, chaplaincy, finance and physiology) will get training in the use of defibrillators and CPR in short, two and a half hours sessions. It is hoped to hold more session in the months ahead.
Val Fallon said: “Through my contacts at the Scottish Ambulance Service and the British Heart Foundation ‘saving lives in Glasgow’ appeal, we have managed to secure two part-funded defibrillators. We have also purchased a third defibrillator at cost price through a company used by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
“One will be kept at the main Gilmorehill gatehouse with 24 hour access. One will be stored in the West Medical Building Physiology Laboratory 217, and the third will be located in the Chaplaincy”.
These are in addition to three existing defibrillators that are located at:
- James Watt South (janitors booth)
- Stevenson Building (duty managers office)
- Rankine Building (janitors booth).
There is also defibrillator provision at Garscube. The University is delivering defibrillator/CPR training on Campus to all University security staff, chaplaincy staff, physiology staff and engineering staff.
If you want to find out more about purchasing defibrillators, signing up for future training sessions...or if you are aware of defibrillator machines on Campus that are not mentioned here...please contact Dr Val Fallon, 0141 330 2276
First published: 17 April 2014
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