Where to find lifesaving defibrillators on the Costa del Sol

Where to find lifesaving defibrillators on the Costa del Sol

Where to find a lifesaving defibrillator on the Costa del Sol. Image: Wikimedia

WITH heart disease remaining one of the world’s biggest killers and around 50,000 cardiac arrests every year in Spain, increasing the number of defibrillators in public spaces and raising awareness of where to find one on the Costa del Sol is essential.


Since 2012 the devices have been obligatory in various public spaces across the Costa del Sol with more than 500 defibrillators in Malaga City alone.
Using a defibrillator before an ambulance arrives in an emergency can significantly increase the chances of saving someone’s life. But if you were faced with a medical emergency, would you know where to find a defibrillator and what to do?
Here, the Euro Weekly News has put together a guide to the lifesaving defibrillators near you. As part of a series of informative articles, the EWN Community Guides, the Euro Weekly News has set out where to find a defibrillator and what to do in case of cardiac arrest.
 

What is a defibrillator

But first, what actually is a defibrillator and what do they do?
A defibrillator is used to deliver a dose of electric current to the heart when it is not functioning properly to help it to reestablish a normal heartbeat.
 

Where to find a defibrillator

In Andalucia defibrillators are required in:
Large retail areas measuring more than 2,500 square metres
Airports
Commercial ports
Bus or railway stations and stops in towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants
Metro stations with an average daily influx equal to or greater than 5,000 people
Sports facilities, centres or complexes with 500 or more users a day
Public establishments with a capacity equal to or greater than 5,000 people
In many towns on the Costa del Sol, defibrillators can also be found in police vehicles, pharmacies, and sports centres that receive fewer than 500 visitors a day.
For a full list of the defibrillators in Malaga City, visit www.desfibriladores.malaga.eu.
 

What to do in an emergency

  1. If someone is unconscious and not breathing properly, the first step is always to call the emergency services.

In Spain, the number for all the emergency services is 112, a central phone service available in several languages which will alert the relevant emergency services for you.
Or to call the ambulance service directly, call 061.

  1. The next step is to ask a helper to locate someone who works at the public space you are in, who will know whether they have a defibrillator and who is qualified to use it.
  2. Begin CPR on the person until the defibrillator or an ambulance arrives. During Covid, the Junta de Andalucia advices against using mouth to mouth CPR techniques, as well as to use gloves and a mask while giving CPR.

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