Dying To Go Toilet? Shocking Missing AED Pictures!
If you’re shopping in one part of the Arndale Centre in Manchester, let’s hope that you’re not dying to go to the loo. If you suffered a heart attack then you could well be. I made a shocking discovery when I came out of the toilets (the new ones next to River Island), that the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was missing.
It may have been used or taken away for repairs, but hasn’t been replaced. These are put in public places, like airports and shopping centres, to help save lives. These AED are used to shock the heart into restarting. How?
The AED checks the heart to see if there’s an irregular beat. This detects whether it is safe to administer an electric shock through the chest. If the heart is OK or stopped completely then the machine will not work as a safety precaution. When the machine says that is safe, then the qualified user can then push the button. This electric shock actually stops the heart, contrary to popular belief. The brain realises that the heart has stopped and then sends a signal to the heart to restart. Hopefully, it restarts and a normal beat is heard.
Being a British Red Cross member and a trained First Aider, with AED training, I found this really shocking that one of the Arndale Centre’s AED machines was in fact missing. There is another AED near Anne Summers. But, every second counts. Every second wasted looking for another could mean the difference between life or death - literally.
My message to the Managers of the Arndale is to please replace this AED asap.
Lets hope the only shock you get this weekend are the prices!