Immediate action could make all the difference

Harvard Health Publishing reports that during the first week after a Covid-19 diagnosis, the risk of a first heart attack increases by three to eight times. In the following weeks, this decreases steadily but stays elevated for at least a month. Sudden cardiac arrest is, however, not just Covid related … it is one of the leading causes of out-of-hospital deaths globally

According to Blake Grace, director of Ventria – a company that offers a managed automated external defibrillator (AED) services programme (supplying AEDs on a subscription basis) – all organisations must adopt an AED.

“An AED is used to help those experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyse the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm,” Grace explains. “A sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time! Not only people with a precondition can suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest.”

He affirms that, globally, there is an emerging potential link between the Covid-19 pandemic and incidence and outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). “Data from Italy, Paris, New York City and two other cities in the US all reported increased incidence of OHCA along with local rises in Covid-19 infections. Locally as a business, we’ve never been busier replacing AED pads in the field – keeping in mind that the majority of our clients are in offices and hospitality environments, not emergency services.”

The company came into being after one of its directors was at a wedding where a sudden cardiac arrest incident occurred. “Unfortunately, the attempted resuscitation was unsuccessful,” Grace tells SHEQ MANAGEMENT. “One of the patrons at the wedding was an American gentleman, who was very puzzled about why the venue didn’t have an AED.

“The window for providing [life-saving] defibrillation is very small; this is why even in built-up cities globally, where emergency services are readily available, public-accessible AEDs are being put in place. With this information, Ventria came into being. With the right equipment and support anyone can help save a life.”

As a business, Ventria has been marketing AEDs for seven years in South Africa. “In the first couple of years, we realised that many companies and recreational facilities that purchased AEDs were not maintaining them and making them accessible in emergencies,” Grace points out. “Committed to being prepared for sudden cardiac arrests is not only about acquisition and installation of an AED. The key responsibility is ensuring they are accessible and ready for use when required. With this we introduced managed AED programmes five years ago, where we manage and monitor all AEDs in-field 24/7.”

Through Ventria an AED is secured by SafeBox and monitored 24/7 by its innovative SmartLink system, with a rapid response if any irregularity is detected. “Other features include a removal alarm and an automatic voice connection with the local emergency dispatch,” Grace says. “As a partner, we support you with full assistance from planning to implementation, programme management and post-event support, at a single site or worldwide.

“In South Africa, there has been a strong focus on employee health and safety. With many organisations planning on getting their staff back into the offices in the new year, we have seen many requests for our managed AEDs solutions. This is exciting, because we are very far behind the rest of the world in making our country a heart-safe nation.”