Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ4: First aid treatment for heart attack
Following is a question by the Professor Hon Patrick Lau and an oral reply by
the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council
today (March 4):
Question:
Heart disease is the number two killer-disease in Hong Kong, claiming about 17
lives on average every day. According to some scientific researches, every
one-minute delay in administering electric shock to patients suffering from a
heart attack (sudden cardiac arrest) will reduce their survival rate by 7% to
10%. On the other hand, if automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) are
installed at public places so that electric shock can be administered to such
patients immediately, the number of persons rescued can be increased by more
than one half. Hence, it is common that public places (such as government
buildings, schools, shopping arcades and underground railway stations, etc.) in
countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan have AEDs
installed, and at the airports of such countries, AEDs are installed at
intervals of 50 metres to 100 metres. Although a few places in Hong Kong have
AEDs installed at present, the usage rate is on the low side due to insufficient
publicity and inconvenient locations. In this connection, will the Government
inform this Council:
(a) given the small size and affordable prices (around $10,000-odd each) of AEDs,
whether the Government will make reference to overseas practices and install
AEDs at locations in the vicinity of fire hoses, public lavatories or lifts at
various public places (including the Legislative Council Building and all
government buildings), and encourage private organisations to follow suit; if it
will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(b) given that it is easy and simple to operate an AED, which can automatically
assess the patient's heart rate and then administer the electric shock as
appropriate, and that in Seattle of the United States, upon enhancement of
citizens' first-aid knowledge and installation of AEDs at a number of places
across the city, the survival rate of persons suffering from sudden cardiac
arrest has increased tremendously from 1% to 3% to 16% to 25%, whether the
authorities will launch campaigns to teach the public how to use AEDs, with a
view to enabling people nearby to give first aid to a person suffering from
sudden cardiac arrest within the critical five-minute period, thereby reducing
the rate of sudden death of persons suffering from sudden cardiac arrest; if so,
of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) are devices used to perform cardiac
resuscitation on patients. Overseas research has shown that with the
simultaneous use of an AED in the course of performing cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) on a patient suffering from heart attack, the survival rate
of the patient could be increased. At present, all ambulances of the Fire
Services Department (FSD) are equipped with AEDs. AEDs are also used by public
hospitals to perform cardiac resuscitation on patients. While AEDs are simple to
operate, consideration must be given to the patients' prevailing circumstances
and attention must be paid to the operation procedures before using them on
patients. In this connection, AED users must first receive training on first aid
and operation of the device. In addition, they must clearly understand that the
use of AED is only part of the first aid procedures and the patients still need
to be sent to hospitals for medical treatment as quickly as possible.
My reply to the two parts of the question is as follows -
(a) & (b) With the increase in wealth in society, the change in eating habits
and the lack of exercise, there is an increasing prevalence of heart disease
with signs of early occurrence among the public. The Government therefore
encourages people to receive first aid training so that they can perform first
aid on patients suffering from heart attack. The first aid training includes CPR
and automated external defibrillation.
In fact, the FSD has implemented a Community Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Training Scheme since 1999 to provide free CPR training to the community and
encourage the trained members of the public to perform CPR on people suffering
from heart attack before the arrival of ambulance personnel. So far, over 20,000
people have participated in the Scheme.
The FSD has also implemented a Public Access Defibrillation Scheme since 2006.
Under the Scheme, free CPR and automated defibrillation training is provided
with the aim of encouraging institutions to install AEDs in public places, and
enabling those who have been trained to perform first aid on people suffering
from heart attack. So far, more than 2,000 people have received training and
acquired the basic theories of the two first aid skills and knowledge on the use
of relevant device. The people who have received training include staff of
property management companies, airport security personnel, staff of residential
care homes for the elderly, government staff, staff in the hotel industry, MTR
staff, fire safety ambassadors, civilian staff of the FSD, etc.
In addition, the Hong Kong College of Cardiology, Hong Kong Red Cross and Hong
Kong St. John Ambulance also offer similar training courses. About 15,000 people
have been trained so far.
At present, AEDs have been installed at a number of places in the territory,
including office buildings, theme parks, schools, large shopping malls, private
housing estates, private clubhouses, commercial buildings, nursing homes, etc.
We welcome the increasing popularity of the device. To facilitate wider use of
AEDs and to further promote first aid treatment for heart attack in the
community, we will enhance our communication and collaboration with the
institutions concerned and work together with them. The ultimate goal is to
enable more members of the public to offer assistance to people in need by
giving first aid treatment. Prior to formulating the long-term specific policy
on the promotion of AEDs, the Government will carefully examine all relevant
factors, including safety of the device, usage of the device in the territory,
the number of people who have received training on the operation of the device,
overseas experience, etc.
Ends/Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:54
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