Ambulances get top defibrillators

Three hitech defibrillators have been bought to equip Taranaki ambulances with another tool to combat cardiac arrests

Yesterday Mayor Harry Duynhoven presented the new machines worth more than 30000 each to St John

St John North Taranaki area committee chairman Doug Ashby said every year in New Zealand more than 1000 people went into cardiac arrest outside the hospital environment and only 8 per cent survived

Defibrillators are lifesaving pieces of equipment they give a short electric shock to the heart allowing the heart to regain its natural rhythm after a person suffers a cardiac arrest Mr Ashby said

The three HeartStart MRX monitor defibrillators use technology never seen before in Taranaki and 110000 from the New Plymouth District Councils community programmes funding subcommittee was used to fund the machines

He said comparing defibrillators used in schools and police cars with the new ambulance machines was like comparing a bicycle with a Ferrari The technology was incredible with results able to be sent to hospitals wirelessly

This means that in some cases cardiologists can instruct our crews on the correct interventions and even change the destination hospital due to the ability to make a specific diagnosis he said

The huge advantage is that some of our selected Taranaki intensive care paramedics will now be able to perform the most advanced prehospital care available in New Zealand

Date : 28 Mar, 2012
Reference : http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/6649137/Ambulances-get-top-defibrillators

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