Want to make sure that you, your family and colleagues know what to do in an emergency situation? CPR and defibrillator training is a great start! Our HeartSmart program, includes all the information you need to provide life-saving assistance in the event of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) during COVID-19.

Being Prepared – Know What a Cardiac Emergency Looks Like

As this course is focussed on bystander CPR and defibrillation for SCA, it is useful to know a little more about common cardiac emergency conditions, how to recognise them and what to do. In these situations, acting quickly with confidence is key to saving a life. Common cardiac conditions and their symptoms include:

• Heart attack – also called a myocardial infarction. A heart attack is caused by a narrowing or blockage of a coronary artery due to a build-up of plaque. Symptoms may include mild to extreme chest pain or pressure, pain radiating down one or both arms, shortness of breath, cold sweats, epigastric pain, dizziness and possible loss of consciousness. Along with the symptoms listed above women may experience slightly different symptoms, including flu-like symptoms, nausea and back, neck or jaw pain. In both cases, the heart continues pumping blood but if the blockage is large enough the heart may eventually fail and go into cardiac arrest.
• Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) – occurs when the internal electrical conduction system of the heart fails and the heart stops pumping blood, depriving the brain of oxygen. The heart muscle continues to contract but in an uncoordinated quivering fashion called ventricular fibrillation (V-fib). Symptoms of SCA include sudden loss of consciousness, no respiratory effort or ineffective gasping, and no pulse. Often, the person experiences little or no warning signs or symptoms beforehand.
• Angina – This health condition is caused by a narrowing in a coronary artery, which restricts the flow of blood to certain areas of heart muscle. Exercise induced angina is a condition where chest pain or tightness (or any of the signs or symptoms of a heart attack) are experienced during or soon after exercise, these normally resolve with rest. Unstable angina is a more serious condition, it is when angina symptoms are experienced without exercise while the person is at rest. Both exercise and unstable angina are serious conditions which should be investigated further by a General Practitioner.

Learn How to Perform Bystander CPR

The course first explains how to recognise cardiac emergencies and what are the steps required to help someone. In the case of a SCA, you should check for dangers, assess responsive, check for breathing, call 000 and then provide hands-only CPR. Due to the current risks presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we also provide information on how to perform CPR without putting yourself at risk of infection.

The HeartSmart course focuses on hands-only CPR, which is the provision of chest compressions without the need for mouth to mouth ventilation. Hands-only CPR compressed the heart, artificially pumping blood to the brain and the heart muscle through the coronary arteries. This prolongs the time that the heart remains in ventricular-fibrillation, allowing for the retrieval of an AED and successful defibrillation. As the majority of SCA occur at home, learning hands-only CPR may enable you to provide lifesaving CPR to a member of your own family. Although the smaller children in your family may not have the strength to perform chest compressions, being able to recognise a SCA, alert others and call the emergency services can help save a life. Learning CPR at a young age provides children with the knowledge and confidence to step up and provide lifesaving help when required.

Learn How to Use an AED

The HeartSmart program demonstrates how to use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillators) to deliver lifesaving defibrillation. The training explains how to use public access community AEDs or one that you could have at your home, school or workplace.

AEDs are designed to be used by any member of the general public, without the need for specific training. The HeartSmart program will give you the confidence and knowledge to act quickly and provide rapid defibrillation. As the HeartSmart program is available online, the training is accessible at any time throughout Australia.

Defibrillator and CPR Training from AED Specialists in Australia

With every defibrillator purchased, you get access to our HeartSmart program, a Hands-only CPR and Defibrillator training program developed in partnership with the Department of Paramedicine at Monash University. In addition to supplying AEDs and AED accessories from leading brands, we also offer COVID-19 kits that include face masks (including bulk orders), infrared thermometers, personal use and staff COVID-19 protection kits, and COVID-19 screening kits for your safety during the pandemic.

At DefibsPlus, we believe every person can save a life when provided with the right equipment and training, enabling them to recognise and react with confidence in the event of a SCA. Contact us today for more information.