AED`s in ENTERTAINMENT VENUES

It is estimated that at least 80% of all Sudden Cardiac Arrests (SCA) occur outside the hospital environment, and of those the survival rate is currently less than 5% due to the lack of rapid access to an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). There are more than 2000 deaths from SCA every week in the UK.

On average, 50% of the British public attend a live theatre or musical production each year. Even more attend cinemas. There are over 63,000 pubs in the UK, over 2700 nightclubs and 144 casinos. In other words, of the time we are not in the hospital environment, a fair proportion of that time is spent in entertainment venues.

Believe it or not, American casinos are among the safest places in the world for a SCA. The reason for this has nothing to do with Lady Luck but with the response time from onset of the attack to arrival of a trained responder with an AED. With security cameras and guards always on the lookout for cheaters and troublemakers, virtually everyone is under constant surveillance. That means if a visitor collapses, someone notices quickly. If you collapse at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas, for instance, a trained staffer with a defibrillator will be standing over you in just 2.8 minutes. Even if you are in a hospital, the response rate isn't always so fast. And that can make the difference between hitting the jackpot and losing everything.

When SCA strikes, there is only a 4-6 minute window of opportunity for successful resuscitation using an AED as part of the chain of survival. Beyond that time chance of survival decreases dramatically to less than 5% after 10 minutes and virtually zero after that.

Incredibly, the survival rate on the Vegas Strip is now 53 percent. Even in most hospitals, your odds aren't as good!

Nightclubs and live music venues are obvious sites for AED placement. Unfortunately young people are also at risk of a sudden cardiac arrest, especially in environments which may cause unusual stress to their bodies and in particular, their hearts such as from alcohol and recreational drugs.

At The Defib Centre, we offer advice on all aspects of an AED program from how many to best placement and training.

For further details of our packages for entertainment venues, please email: entertainment@thedefibcentre.co.uk or call us on 0800 634 9745.