Enabling everyone to save lives
According to recent statics, most deaths in the Philippines are linked to cardiovascular disease, with sudden cardiac arrest one of the most prevalent — being the cause of death of 170,000 Filipinos each year.
This figure is high due to inaccessible services and a lack of adequate training in using available medical equipment. This can be lowered with the aid of a medical device called Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which delivers an electric shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. Cardiac arrests can happen anywhere, at any time, and bystander intervention and treatment with an AED has been shown to triple the survival rate to 31.4 percent according the American Heart Association.
In 2017, the Philippines passed the “Defibrillators in Public Places Act” requiring AED to be placed in government buildings and private places.
Ashwin Chari, country manager of Philips Philippines Inc. says, “Philips is committed to delivering high quality, innovative AEDs to provide personalized therapy to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. We will continue to innovate and provide our customers with reliable easy-to-use lifesaving technology. In this way, apart from saving lives which is the core of our concern, we can also relieve the increasing pressure on the healthcare system in our country.”
These devices usually come with step-by-step guidelines, but Philips wishes to equip people with the knowledge and awareness of AED and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) beforehand, so they know how to respond during unpredictable situations when emergency response is needed.
Here are quick and easy AED and CPR tips to prepare those are first on site.
How to use an AED
Call emergency medical services immediately. The nationwide emergency hotline is “911.”
Turn on the AED and follow the instructions step by step.
Remove clothes from patient’s chest. Make sure patient’s chest is bare and dry.
Apply the AED pads on the patient’s upper left chest and lower right side (refer to illustration).
The AED will analyze the patient’s rhythm to see if an electric shock must be delivered. Stay clear of the patient while this is happening.
If AED advises you to deliver a shock, tell any bystanders to stand clear and press the “shock” button once clear. If no shock is advised, begin CPR immediately. Begin CPR.
How to do CPR
Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest between the nipples, and the other hand on top of the first.
Push the chest down firmly two inches (5 cm) deep. Give 30 compressions to the chest.
Pinch the patient’s nose, tilt their head upward and give two full breaths.
Continue compressions to the chest.
Monitor for any changes in breathing and continue to follow AED instructions.
Around the world, public spaces such as shopping malls, train stations, airports and schools are required to be equipped with units of AED and in the coming years, Philips plans to drive further awareness through strategic partnerships and initiatives that will allow these helpful devices to be readily available anytime, anywhere.
Find out more about AED at