A new smartphone app is set to turn B.C. bystanders into potential life-savers when a sudden cardiac arrest occurs in a public place.
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) launched the free PulsePoint application today throughout the province. It provides vital information in the case of cardiac arrest, where minutes count in reducing suffering and preventing death.
Smartphone users with Pulsepoint are connected to the BCEHS emergency dispatch system. When a sudden cardiac arrest is reported at a public location through 9-1-1, dispatchers can send the location to people with mobile devices located within short walking distance. A user with training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can then quickly go to the patient and begin CPR while paramedics are en route.
The smartphone alert also shows users a map pinpointing the location of nearby portable public defibrillators, which are another important tool which the general public can use safely before paramedics arrive.
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health –
“Rollout of this application province-wide is an excellent example of our health care professionals innovating to improve care for British Columbians. Research has shown that receiving CPR quickly after a sudden cardiac arrest doubles chances of survival. Bystanders using PulsePoint and CPR, along with BCEHS staff, can now have an even greater impact on saving lives.”
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