What’s the difference between a rat and a defibrillator

Fear of a rat or a cardiac arrest

Do you believe the urban myth about, never being more than 6 feet away from a rat?

If so, you may find the thought terrifying and you could be forgiven for feeling a little concerned.Rat on wall

Rats have a bad press as dirty, unhygienic, disease-ridden creatures who really have no place in a healthy human environment.

Consequently, we immediately call the rat catcher to have them dispatched.

So, what, has this got to do with First Aid?

Nothing, until you realise our reaction to a relatively insignificant risk, from a small furry creature, is far greater, than being more than 5 minutes away from a device, that could save your life.

Fear of a Cardiac Arrest

None of us want to experience a cardiac arrest, but when it happens, time is critical for your survival.

Every minute that passes after an arrest your chances of survival reduces by ten percent.

With an average ambulance response time of 8 minutes you’ll see the window for successful resuscitation is extremely narrow.

Access to a defibrillator can make a massive difference to your survival but only if it’s close by.

rat on bird feederAnd this is where the comparison with the rat comes in, you worry about being in close proximity with Mr Rat, but who even thinks about how close you are to a cardiac defibrillator?

In the pub, at the cinema, the gym, library, at home if you have a cardiac arrest you’d want the very best treatment to be immediately available.

Ideally every venue, shop or business, would have one and hopefully every street in residential areas.

But in reality you’ll find, most defibrillators are much further away than a rat, and even if they’re not, many will be hidden from view.

Companies will often install defibrillators for their employees but never register them with the ambulance service, as public access.

AED automated external defibrillator
Public Access Defibrillator

This simple act of benevolence and generosity could save the life of you or your closest friend or relative.

If you have a defibrillator, please register it.

If you don’t, consider installing one.

Many communities raise money for defibrillators, but there need to be many more to save lives.

Remember, you’re much more likely to have a cardiac arrest than be bitten by a rat, so doesn’t it make sense to know where your nearest one is and how to use it?

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