GALWAY DOCTORS RECOMMEND DEFIBRILLATORS FOR COMMUNITIES

Date Published: 10-Sep-2007

Two Galway cardiologists are recommending the development of community based programmes under which automatic external defibrillators are placed at strategic locations in the communityDr. Jim Crowley and Dr. Pat Nash, both consultant cardiologists at University Hospital Galway made the comments at the annual West of Ireland Croí meeting in InishbofinAccording to today's Irish Times, Sudden Cardiac Death [SCD] is due to a lethal arrythmia and must be treated within 10 minutes of it occurring, for a higher chance of recoveryDr. Pat Nash says the best method for establishing the risk of SCD is to use a screening questionnaireBoth doctors are recommending rapid access to specialised defibrillators in communties across the country