Our Latest Blog Posts

Most people think of children’s safety when planning for Halloween activities. But Halloween fun and preparedness doesn’t have an age limit. Whether you’re driving home from work during trick-or-treating hours, hosting a party or handing out candy at your home, these safety tips can help keep you and others safe this Halloween.

Cardiac arrest is among the leading cause of death in New Zealand and worldwide. This life-threatening emergency occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood through the body due to an inadequate or absent heartbeat. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the most dramatic occurrence of cardiac arrest, can happen with little to no warning at all.

It's Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month so let’s address one of the most common questions that CPR students have: What’s the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

We know trained bystanders are the key to survival for cardiac arrest. But some may feel hesitant to provide lifesaving care during the coronavirus pandemic.

This month we want to focus on using an AED. Each year thousands of New Zealanders experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, whether it be at home, at the shopping centre, or out in public, which means that you may be the determining factor in saving someone’s life. Fortunately, in this day and age we have the use of AED’s which are available in a lot of public places. All you need to do is find the location of an AED, turn it on and follow the instructions when prompted. Find your closest available AED’s by clicking here .

There are many New Zealanders living with underlying heart conditions and living with permanent disability because of the lack of awareness of heart attack warning signs and not knowing when to seek medical attention. If you, or even someone you know has experienced a heart attack, this doesn’t mean they are safe from having another one, and symptoms may not be the same as the last. Remember Minutes Matter, so it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with signs and symptoms and knowing when to seek urgent medical attention. We at Medic First Aid we want to teach you how to recognise and attend to someone who may be experiencing a heart attack right in front of you. We want you to be confident enough to be able to help that person and to perform CPR if needed.