Saving lives too

Alarmingly the current survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is 7 per cent, because the emergency services do not reach patients in time, and the likelihood of successful resuscitation decreases by about 10 per cent with every minute that passes. One only had to witness the case of superfit footballer Fabrice Muamba to appreciate that SCAs can affect anyone – and without warning.  During a stressful situation in a dental practice or while undergoing a surgical procedure, the risk can be even greater.  Despite this it is believed that only 45 per cent of UK dental practices have an Automatic External Defibrillator.

From 2014 it is strongly recommended by the Resuscitation Council (UK) – backed by dental protection organisations - that Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) should be sited in every healthcare environment, including the dental practice. Failure to use one on a collapsed patient may result in a member of the dental team being challenged if it can be shown that a defibrillator could have influenced their outcome, or indeed, survival.