UNSW Automated External Defibrillators
UNSW has invested over $75,000 in the past 2 years to rollout 18 life saving defibrillators across UNSW’s Kensington campus as well as the CBD campus and research stations.
Published on the 18 February 2016
Research shows that the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest improve dramatically when Automated External Defibrillators can be used quickly. Defibrillators are now common in airports, railway stations, sporting stadiums, on commercial aircraft and many public facilities.
More than 18 of the devices were rolled out or upgraded over 2014/2015 in the busiest points across the campus and include the latest technology in emergency cardiac treatment.
“Around 50,000 people study, work or visit UNSW’s campuses every working day. We have no doubt that the new and updated defibrillators will save lives.” UNSW Safety and Sustainability Director, Aaron Magner said.
Professor Terry Campbell Associate Dean and heart specialist from UNSW Faculty of Medicine has been a long-term advocate for defibrillators being publically accessible.
Immediate access to a defibrillator is vital because the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest decreases by 10 per cent every minute defibrillation is delayed.”
“The current survival rate from a sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital is less than 5%. However, if someone receives defibrillation within the first 3 minutes, their chance of survival improves to well over 50% - these units really can save lives,” Professor Campbell said.
Once the unit is activated a signal confirming this is sent to UNSW Security Services and an ambulance summoned to the site automatically.
The units also contain a GPS signalling device that can help guide the ambulance to the location of the emergency.
As more defibrillators are progressively rolled out, first aid officer staff are being trained how to use them, but the units are fully automatic and can also be used by all staff, students and members of the public.
They are lightweight and battery-powered and provide both simple voice and screen prompts to lead people through the defibrillation process.
The units can also instruct people how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation – or CPR – if that’s necessary.
The units are being installed and maintained by Australian Defibrillators and all of the devices have back-to-base monitoring to enable UNSW to monitor and record when the units are or have been used.