HMC Aeds to cut heart attack set in malls deaths

LANI ROSE R DIZON

DOHA residents who fall prey to sudden cardiac arrest in public places now have greater chances of survival such as Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) plans to the public access automated external defibrillators (Aeds) in Qatar.

An AED can easily be used in cases of life-threatening heart rhythm disorders that lead to cardiac arrest. With simple audio and Visual commands, the portable electronic device automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias in a patient and is able to treat them through defibrillation.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Dr. Khallid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen, said Director of the HMC Hamad International Training Center (HITC) the plan will form part of the Kulluna safety campaign and five years will soon be launched.

"We want via the HITC a national initiative for the promotion of the use of automatic external defibrillators in public places, such as shopping centres, in the great towers and many other areas (workplaces, schools and universities, community centres).

We need to move in that direction to improve awareness about how to treat cardiac arrest patients, "he said.

Saifeldeen said that one of the worrying trends found on HMC is that young people with heart disease and stroke leads to brain death.

"We have patients in their early 20s and 30s and almost all of them, especially patients of the subcontinent and the Philippines, have hypertension diagnosed. This is the reason why we call it a silent killer. Hypertension can cause sudden death, "he added.

HMC Nurse Educator Emad Ayoub said, "we're trying to improve awareness in Qatar in treating cardiac arrest by following simple regime as resurrection of the patient or using automated external defibrillators. If a patient suffers cardiac arrest anywhere, will his/her chances of survival, if there is anyone around who is trained on how to use an AED to resuscitate improve by up to 90 percent.

Hospitals have specialized construction equipments for the treatment of patients, but we also need to care outside the hospital ".

Studies have shown that delayed treatment quickly to irreversible brain damage and death lead can.

For every minute that a person in cardiac arrest is treated successfully speaks (by defibrillation), reduces the chance of survival by 7% per minute in the first three minutes, and 10 percent per minute than three minutes as time advances.