Your phone could save a life
A new service - possibly the first worldwide, according to
its founder - seeks to direct people speedily to the nearest
automated external defibrillator (AED) should someone nearby suffer
a heart attack.
An AED is a portable device that analyses heart rhythms and advises
those who help the victim and need not be medically trained, if an
electric shock is needed - and provides it.
Leveraging on a Google map, Dr Dana Elliott Srither and a team of
helpers at volunteer organisation First Aid Corps, have uploaded
the locations of some AEDs across Singapore, Australia, Europe and
several other countries.
Currently, these can be found in public places, such as shopping
malls, schools and hotels, including Parkway Parade Shopping
Centre, VivoCity, Ngee Ann City, the National University of
Singapore and Singapore Expo Convention Centre.
The Singapore Sports Council has also installed AEDs at its sports
centres, stadiums and swimming pools, while private clubs such as
The Home Team Academy, Singapore Island Country Club and Tanglin
Club are also equipped with the device.
Users have to install the Google map on their phone, which is
free.
For now, this service is only available on Windows Mobile phones,
Palm devices or those running on the Symbian operating
system.
Once the application is activated, users only need to press the
number 0 and in under 10 seconds the locations of AEDs nearby will
turn up, with an accuracy of 50 to 100 metres.
Time is of the essence when locating and using an AED, and should
be used within five minutes of a heart attack.
It takes paramedics between 8.6 to 14 minutes from the time they
get a call to reach a patient.
According to the American Heart Association, the chance of survival
from a heart attack decreases by seven to 10 per cent with every
passing minute.
In Singapore, the survival rate is 2.7 per cent, if a person
suffers a heart attack outside a hospital.
Much hinges on the availability of data on the location of the
AEDs, which Dr Srither reckons is "far from extensive".
Dr Srither is a medical director at LifeResus, a local AED
distributor.
The team has updated about 300 locations worldwide, and only about
12 locations - some with more than one device - in Singapore.
He urged members of the public to help by passing on information on
the location of AEDs.
Said Dr Srither: "We know that AEDs are few and far between, but we
want to use technology to maximise current resources. So say, a
shopping centre has only one AED, but at least with this tool the
public can locate it easily instead of running around to ask
people."
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1009292/1/.html