EHS Provincial AED Registry Program

The Emergency Health Services (EHS) Provincial Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Registry is led by the Office of the Provincial Medical Director (PMD).  The program works collaboratively with the Department of Health & Wellness, Occupational Health and Safety, Emergency Medical Care Inc., The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia (Restart a Heart, Restart a Life Program) and any company or resident within the province of NS that has an AED.
 
EHS responds to an average of 1300 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests per year, with only one (1) in twenty (20) patients surviving to hospital discharge.  Improving bystanders CPR and early defibrillation is to improving survival.

Most cardiac arrests are due to abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmias.  Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is the most common arrhythmia that causes cardiac arrest.  VF is a condition in which the heart’s electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic, often without warning.  That causes the heart’s pumping action to abruptly stop.  When cardiac arrest occurs, the victim loses consciousness, has no pulse and stops breathing normally. 

Defibrillation is the only known therapy for VF.  This technique of giving an electronic shock can restore the heart’s normal rhythm if it’s done within minutes of arrest.  For every one minute delay in defibrillation, the survival rate of a cardiac arrest victim decreases by 7 to 10%.  If delayed more than 12 minutes, the survival rate of adults in less than 5%.

Defibrillation is done using an AED, which is a computerized medical device.  An AED can check a person’s heart rhythm, it can recognize a rhythm that requires shock and it can advise the rescuer when a shock is needed.  The AED uses voice prompts, lights and text messages to tell the rescuer the steps to take. 

There are four critical steps of treatment that illustrate the “chain of survival” for victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).  The links are:

  • Early recognition of emergency and activation of EMS System (911)
  • Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • Early defibrillation (delivery of shock with an AED)
  • Early institution of advanced life support

A break in any of the four links in the chain can compromise the victim’s chance for survival; however, early defibrillation is recognized as one of the most critical steps in restoring cardiac rhythm and resuscitating a victim of SCA.

At present AEDs are being deployed in communities in Nova Scotia without integration with the ‘Resuscitation Systems of Care’.  This has resulted in: [1] communities lacking appropriate quality management systems of AED maintenance, [2] gaps in awareness of where AEDs are located; and [3] lack of responders being able to access a functioning AED when needed.

 There are a number of benefits associated with the AED Registry including the establishment of a more contemporary health care system in NS as well as strengthened stakeholder relationships, better outcomes for patients and more effective patient-centered care - simply this program will save more lives.

The primary functions of the AED Registry are to:

  • Assure quality control of devices, locations and operational readiness.
  • To provide AED updates to users in the event of AED recall notices, or CPR/AED protocol changes.
  • To remind the site that the batteries on their AED(s) are set to expire soon.
  • To remind the site that the AED(s) electrode pads are set to expire soon.
  • To ensure that the registry is up to date with AED placement locations.
  • A site status post card will be mailed to the site annually from EHS to update information (i.e. site administrator name(s) and contact number(s).

An EHS Provincial AED Registry Form must be completed by any individual and/or business that wishes to register their AED in the EHS Provincial AED Registry.

Submissions can be sent in one of three (3) ways:
Mail:  Emergency Health Services
Provincial AED Registry
237 Brownlow Ave, Suite 160
Dartmouth, NS B3B 2C5

Fax:  (902) 424-1781

Email:  tanya.fraser@gov.ns.ca
For more information contact The Office of the Provincial Medical Director, Provincial AED Registry Coordinator at (902)424-1729.