Pacific Medical Systems participated in the annual school fair, named “Dare to Dream School Fair”, hosted by one of the most prestigious international school in Hong Kong, the Chinese International School, on 12th November, 2005. Over 1000 parents, kids, friends and relatives attended this relaxing occasion. There was a great variety of food stalls and stalls with different products on sale, as well as performances by the students.

This was a unique opportunity for Pacific Medical Systems to showcase the Cardiac Science Automatic AED, simple-to-use design with no buttons, for the public with typically minimal medical knowledge (and to minimize user error under such stressful situation), to save the lives of their loved ones or colleagues, who at any time may suffer a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

This Awareness Program focused on the value and importance of AEDs in public places such as schools, offices, shopping centres, estates and especially homes of patients taking heart medications as well as ones with underlying heart problems. The general awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the need of Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) Program is very low in Hong Kong.

Although one can pick up articles in the papers almost daily with reports of incidents such as kids collapsing while playing sports or in PE classes, high powered executives dropping dead at work, patients with low risk heart problem passing away overnight, tourist collapsing at hotel/airport, laborers in construction sites died as life saving equipment is not available and help arrived too late.
Most are not aware that such incidents can be minimized with early access of AED, and in a lot of cases, avoided. Time to rescue is the key factor. Every minute delay in rescue will decrease 7-10% chance of survival. Permanent damage of internal organs occurs after 5-6 minutes from arrest and after about 10 minutes all help is too late. 
Hence, some of the prestigious private clubs as well as 5 Star International Hotels in HK have already installed AEDs in their premises.

Many parents were attracted to our unusual display at our booth, with a poster showing a collapsed jogger being treated with an AED. Some have heard about such device, as it is compulsory in most states in the USA to have installed in public places (AEDs are sold over the counter in supermarkets and over the internet in the USA). Some came across such device due to their own unfortunate experience with close relatives.
However, most were not aware of the availability of such device and surprised with their ease of use with minimal training. It has definitely generated considerable interest with many wanting to enquire about getting one installed in their work place, and for their parents at home.

Interestingly, the most common question asked during the day was “whether the school has one installed…”