Free defibrillator checks by Red Cross
Cork City Coroner’s Court heard last week how the batteries in an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) failed just days before they were needed in an emergency off Roche’s Point last summer.
John McNally, 46, from Bruff in Co Limerick, ran out of air and drowned after volunteering to remove a heavy weight from his dive group boat’s tangled guide line.
The inquest heard that an onboard AED owned by Blackwater Sub Aqua Club failed when his body was recovered on to a dive boat.
Tests on the device confirmed that its 10 standard batteries had failed just five days earlier – up to a year before their expiry date.
However, the device was stored inside a sealed box and the dead batteries weren’t noticed until divers were dealing with the emergency.
The inquest was told it was a very rare event, with five similar cases recorded worldwide with some 500,000 such AEDs in service.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority told the inquest that inconsistency in battery life can arise and it advised sports clubs to check their AED storage practices.
Promoted by this warning, the Irish Red Cross national director of units yesterday evening directed all units to offer free checks on community-based defibrillators.
A defibrillator used by a trained person increases the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest by 50% if CPR and defibrillation occurs within the first four minutes of the incident.
Survival rates diminish at a rate of 7% to 10% for every minute thereafter.
Irish Red Cross spokeswoman, Sandra Cregan said there is strong anecdotal evidence that checks are needed on many community-based defibrillators: “Some sports clubs and community groups may be unaware of the lifespan of their defib and don’t have a trained to person to check it.
“The case before the Cork city coroner was genuinely unfortunate and we extend our sympathy to all involved.
“But the incident must also be taken as a warning.
“We urge anyone with responsibility for a community-based defibrillator more than two years’ old to contact us at defib@redcross.ie and we will arrange for one of our trained volunteers to carry out a free check and advise on any course of action required.”
The checks will include battery life and date, pad date, machine self-test or test activation and visual inspection for obvious defects.
