FIREFIGHTERS have been deployed to resuscitate heart attack patients across rural Scotland in a move that has provided a major boost to survival rates, new figures reveal.
There are now 16 pilot areas outside Scotland’s cities, where the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service routinely respond to cases of cardiac arrest.
Fire crews often arrive in advance of paramedics because there are more fire units than ambulances in remote parts of the country.
Specially trained firefighters administer vital CPR or use a defibrillator which is part of the crew’s apparatus.
It is recognised that early treatment during the first few minutes are critical to the chances of a patient living.
It has been led by Local Senior Officer David Rout who said: “We exist to save lives across Scotland wherever and however possible.
“There are people alive today and enjoying precious time with their families because we identified yet another opportunity to assist our communities - and we acted.
“Our highly trained firefighters have been responding to victims of an OHCA where they are nearer to the patient, reducing response times.
“Our firefighters work quickly and effectively as a team, performing CPR or using defibrillators to stabilise the patient – keeping them alive until the arrival of our skilled ambulance service partners. “
Fire crews arriving early, possibly to take over from a first responder or a concerned member of the public, have been transforming survival rates.
The average response time in the trial was six to eight minutes, giving the patient precious time until the ambulances crew arrived with their more sophisticated resources such as oxygen and incubation skills. The fire crews, with at least four members, often also help take turns with ambulances paramedics in delivering the physically demanding CPR.
According to a report SFRS personnel made 41 potential lifesaving interventions in out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) call-outs with 15 positive outcomes – a 36 per cent success rate.
This is a dramatic improvement in the overall picture. According to the report to the SFRS board, of the 8,900 or so OHCA cases a year approximately 3,500 people in Scotland undergo attempted resuscitation. But currently only around 5 per cent survive until they are discharged from hospital..
This compares to around 30 per cent in Scandinavia.
So there are moves to extend the Scottish trial beyond the current 16 pilot areas.
The SFRS has invested £300,000 in the OHCA trials which have been taking place in in Musselburgh, Hawick, Coldstream, Lauder, Falkirk, Livingston, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Turriff, Maud, four areas of Mull and Oban.
Dr Michael Foxley, a member of the SFRS board who was a GP in Lochaber for over 30 years, said: “Every second is precious after a cardiac arrest, and it is axiomatic that we get to the patient as soon as soon as possible.”
The ambulance service said it allows it to save more lives.
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