People now have access to AED devices, when am emergency occurs in some crowded spots in Lishui. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province has in recent years been adding automated external defibrillators – also known as AED equipment – in public places throughout the metropolis.

Currently, with the installation of 517 AED devices in the city's crowded spots, Lishui has established a five-minute social emergency rescue circle system.

An AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It's a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart's rhythm and if necessary deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.

"There are nearly 600,000 sudden cardiac death cases in China every year and more than 80 percent of them occur outside hospitals. The golden first aid time for such a sudden attack is only 4-5 minutes," said an official from the municipal health commission.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR and the use of AEDs can be performed by passersby who have been trained in first aid, added the official. 

When the AED is disconnected from the chassis, an alarm is triggered. The nearby hospital will send an ambulance to the location immediately.

Once the patient is in the ambulance, the vital signs examination data related to cardiopulmonary functions and other vital signs will be simultaneously shared with the emergency room of the hospital. The doctors can then immediately carry out precise treatment when the patient arrives.

Over the past two years, Lishui has successfully rescued six people through the five-minute emergency rescue circle. In 2022 and 2023, another 110 AED devices will be added in the city.