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NINETEEN LIVES HAVE been saved since defibrillators were introduced to Dublin Airport a decade ago. The DAA (Dublin Airport Authority) says that three lives were saved by use of defibrillation by Dublin Airport Police and Fire Service (APFS) in 2012 alone.
One fortunate person to be helped by the life-saving machine was 85-year-old Jack Healy who suffered a severe cardiac arrest on 2 September last, just outside Terminal 2. A team of airport police and fire service personnel administered CPR to Mr Healy but when he was still found to have no pulse, they used the AED (automatic external defibrillation) before resuscitating him. He spent six weeks recovering in Beaumont Hospital but was fit enough recently to return to the airport to thank his rescuers.
This is Jack Healy, centre, with members of the APFS crew who saved his life, left to right, Tony Shannon, Keith Pedreschi, Ciaran Curran and Bart Cunningham (a fifth member of the crew, Dave Renehan, is not pictured):
Brendan Lavin of APFS said that 80 per cent of reported collapses at Dublin Airport turn out to be simple faintings but that they have to treat each one as a potential cardiac incident. In cases where it turns out to be a cardiac arrest, the defibrillator provides vital time for patients before they can be transported to hospital.
As well as the case of Mr Healy last year, the crews on hand in Dublin Airport resuscitated a German man and an Irish woman who both collapsed in Terminal 2, in incidents just a week apart, with both patients later being taken to hospital for recovery.
Dublin Airport has been designated a Heartsafe Airport by the Irish Heart Foundation.
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Lovely story. Well done all envolved
Wow. I thought this was much ado about nothing and a waste of money ten years ago when they announced it. I am very glad to be proven wrong!
That’s amazing life saving work done by the Airport Police and Fire Service . They always look so professional and organised. We forget sometimes the important role they have and how well they carry out their duties . Well done !
Cllr, will you support the beating again lobbying group and request as much assistance from your colleagues both on town councils and government houses, it would be a win win situation and could lives.
Absolutely mark could . Would you mind giving me a bell thanks 0872744249
Hi Steve, I’ve sent you contact details just there for the guys behind Beating Again. Thanks, Susan
Thanks Susan
Cheers Susan, I’m not in contact with the lads apart from coming across them on Facebook, I think its a great idea and want to help the two lads, their actions could save life’s so I’m willing to help their cause.
one of the big problem with the buying of Defibrillators is the 23% VAT attached to them, we should be lobbing our politicians to get these life saving devices off the standard rate and down to no VAT
Even if they dropped the vat on the pads. They usually only have a shelf life of 18 months and cost about 50 for each pair.
http://Www.Facebook.com/beatingagain group already set up, they have approached the government and have gotten support to approach Europe.
They’re worth every penny so! A lot of companies give staff first aid training and some are doing the extra day’s course to learn to use these. The more of these out there, the more lives saved!
I know it would be expensive but there should be more of an effort by the government to have them at more gaa, rugby clubs etc.
Or perhaps the clubs should get them themselves
Well done to all the amazing people involved
Should be mandatory to have them in public places. Defibrillators aren’t that expensive so I ask what’s the price of one life.
That’s the problem. When you imagine that it could, and nowadays probably will, be used to save a life then, yes, it isn’t very expensive. But most AED’s are over 1000 euros without VAT (23%), so this is a huge turn-off for businesses now-a-days. I agree that they should be mandatory in public places, but there is no law that dictates where a defibrillator should have to be. The only place they have to be is in ambulances and commercial airliners. Even swimming pools don’t have to have them, which is just plain silly and dangerous at best, lethal at worst.
Great story. CPR/AED training should be taught in every school. A short half day course is enough to give people the skills to save lives. Couldn’t agree more about the VAT on AEDs, it’s a disgrace that these are taxed at such a high rate
Don’t get the VAT point. VAT only effects a business (rather than an individual) in short term cash flow. They claim it all back.
Severe cardiac arrest as opposed to the mild ones you can walk off.
Yes, actually.
Some cardiac arrests can actually take place over several days without the victim realising what is happening and continuing their normal life.
you must be a cardiologist……a bad one
Think your referring to a heart attack there. All cardiac arrests are severe as the patient is unresponsive and not breathing.
Nothing worse than when it happens in a toilet cubicle.
Tim google myocardial infarction while your looking and you will see that the an MI progresses over days to develop in to cardiac arrest. I can assure you that they are all serious and like Clarence says working an arrest in a toilet it’s hard work.
http://www.facebook.com/BeatingAgain is a lobbying group who are trying to get the vat reduced or removed from lifesaving equipment. If they are successful then it would allow clubs and communities to purchase more units and hopefully extend the chain of survival.
Hi Mack I will check that out . Thanks
Fair play to them all, they deserve our gratitude. And a great pic too!
I’m delighted to hear so many lives have been saved. My Grandad died of a heart attack in Dublin airport before I was born, and every time I’m there I think of him, and my family, who were at his side when it happened. I doubt an AED would have helped him were they around then, but nobody at the airport told my Grandmother that he had actually passed away there, even though it was obvious to the ambulance crew who arrived out, it was left to the Doctor at the hospital they arrived at.
First Aiders can make all the difference in a situation where they’re the first on the scene, and I totally agree with Eric, everyone should know how to do basic cpr. It should be taught in schools from a young age-the more familiar people are with it, the more confident and calm they’ll be should they need to use it.
Well done to the AFPS crew, I’m sure there are many families out there thankful that ye are on duty there, and I know I for one am that bit happier knowing that the airport has that support there for those who are travelling, and their families too.
AED’s are crucial to the chain of survival but as everyone has pointed out but they are only part of the chain. In the past defibs were not available to the public and came in an ambulance which was unfortunately too late for some people. Their availability now and the fact that more people are trained in their safe use is a welcome development but we need many more. I would argue that every young person leaving secondary school should be CFR certified and that primary school children should have a basic level of first aid. I do classes with my local school and the children there love it.
In this case that you mention would not have been possible for the paramedics to say whether or not a person has passed away as that was only certifiable by doctors so your poor Grandmother would have had to wait until your Grandad was taken to the hospital. I am aware that these protocols are changing but only slowly.
Great story. It is nice to see that a small investment can save so many lives. An AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) can cost from as little as €2000.
Easy to use ( even easier with a little bit of training), they practically tell you what to do. Along with CPR, they definitely give the casualty a fighting chance.
One point on the article i would like to make is, a defibrillator does not provide resuscitation. That part is up to the person using it. It merely looks at the the electrical signals from the heart and decides if there is a shockable rhythm. If there is it allows the user to provide that shock.
Noted, Tom. I’ll amend that now – thanks for the tip.
Cheers, Susan
Well done all in Dublin airport
Brilliant work lads. This is my uncle’s life you saved. Jack is a true gent. Someone who loves his golf and I’ve played with many many times over the years. Amazing work ! Had lunch with him today and I couldn’t believe he’s flying around so well. Because of you guys I might even have to give him back all his golf balls! Thanks again.. S
Seems to have been forgotten that the HSE ACLS had a fairly big imput into saving Jacks life, as they were the ones who administerd the ACLS
Fair play to all involved, you’d be surprised how many AED’s are in use in local community’s, from gyms to tax offices and shopping center’s ect, it can only be a positive the more people that are trained in there use the better. I wonder if the DAA might suggest to some of the airlines to equip them on planes on short hall/euro flights, whilst an AED is only 1 piece of the chain of survival, your chances of survival from CPR alone after a few minutes are practicaly nil.
Lovely pic. Great success story.
After a heart attack the chain of survival is crucial. For every 1 minute that cpr hasn’t taken place your chance of survival decreases by 10%.Fair play to the apfs on a wonderful job they do.keep up the good work.
@Clarence. sure why would I happen somewhere open, where more then one responder can gain access and equipment can be deployed easily and quickly? in the event of toilet cubicle problems, grab patient and drag to open area.
this is a great story, everyone should at least know how to do cpr until advanced care arrives. aeds save lives but its the first person on scene that keeps the patient viable long enough for it to arrive that has made the difference.
I’ll feel safer traveling now. thanks guys
It would of been nice to imclude the HSE ACLS Swords crew in the event as it was them that managed the ACLS !!!!!
Milissa, please don’t take me up the wrong way when I say this, the ACLS do a great job each and every day, saving life’s is part of their job, they may be taken for granted by general public and only families and friends know how proud and indeed how much pain these heroes go through on the good and bad days, it may have been an oversight on someones part, there will always be strong emotions and people will remember things that are unusual to the norm.
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