Last Months Guest Speaker

At our last meeting we had the pleasure of having Julie Hughes give a talk on "Heart of the Nation", a charity set up for the dissemination of information on how to treat people in the event of a sudden heart attack and/or cardiac arrest.

AED's (AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFRIBILLATORS) are now available to be installed in many locations where large crowds gather, eg, Clubs, Shopping Centres, Hotels, Theatres, Churches, etc. These can be life saving equipment if applied soon after an incident!

Julie also explained about the difference between a Heart Attack and a Cardiac Arrest. With a Heart Attack, the coronary arteries become blocked and the heart muscle robbed of its vital blood supply. The patient may be conscious and still breathing. A cardiac arrest is when a person's heart stops pumping blood around their body and they stop breathing normally. It is imperative that, in both instances, triple O (OOO) be called immediately and follow instructions. CPR can also be applied if necessary.

Julie related her personal experience in dealing with a cardiac arrest. Her husband, who was only 38 at the time, died as a result. Sadly this happened before AED's were available. 

Julie's talk was timely and beneficial to all of us in attendance, a reminder that we should be cognisant of how to react in times of distress.

Bruno Perosin

Guest Speakers..

May 13 Michel Al Ters "Excercise to keep healthy.""

June 10 David Jones Walkley Award winning Journalist. "Past major news events coverage"

July 15 Ms Jane Cox Functional Manager Corrective Services PBlock Silverwater. "Daily life in Prison"

August 12 Nick Gleeson Author. Adventurer. Storyteller. "Living with blindness".

Cheers, Ian Green.