Know your nearest AED, say couple

Desperately struggling to breathe during an emphysema attack last Sunday night, Waitarere Beach man Chris Irwin needed help fast.

At real risk of suffering heart failure also, emergency call operators advised his wife Deb that they needed an automated external defibrillator (AED) on hand – just in case – and that the nearest one was at the nearby bowling club.

‘‘Chris was completely limp, so I was holding him upright to keep his airways open, while also trying to keep him calm, because the more stressed he got the less he could breath and the higher the chance of a heart attack,’’ Deb Irwin said.

Meanwhile, a close friend rushed off to retrieve the AED but, being Sunday night, the bowling club was closed.

The friend tracked down someone with a key and soon they both returned with the AED to the Irwins’ home.

However, to make matters worse, no-one felt confident enough to use it.

Thankfully, ambulance officers arrived minutes later to provide the necessary first aid and take Chris to hospital where he spent three nights being monitored, before being discharged on Wednesday.

The Irwins said their experi- ence highlighted the need for everyone to learn where AEDs are located near their home or workplace, and know contact details for people who could access them if necessary.

They also urged people to become familiar with how they worked – no different to other life skills such as knowing CPR.

Chris said while the AED did not need to be used in the end, if he had suffered a heart attack before the ambulance officers arrived, ‘‘the outcome could have been a lot worse’’.

‘‘For Deb and I, it was very frightening and stressful.

‘‘I just want people to be aware of where to go and what to do if they are ever faced with this situation, because time is critical.’’

‘‘Anyone could find themselves in a situation where they need an AED, whether for a relative or friend or someone else out in the public.’’

St John medical director Dr Tony Smith said heart attacks and cardiac arrests could happen to anyone of any age.

‘‘We need all New Zealanders to help by knowing how to do CPR and how to use a defibrillator,’’ he said.

For information on how how to do CPR, use an AED and for AED locations, visit www.stjohn.org.nz/ First-Aid/AED or see the free app AED Locations.

PHOTOS: KELVIN TEIXEIRA/STUFF Waitarere Beach couple Chris and Deb Irwin are urging people to learn where automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are located and how to use them. Above, an AED kit.