BURGHLEY TO PROMOTE EARLY LIFE-SAVING ‘DEFIBRILLATION’
FOR HEART ATTACK VICTIMS

This year’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (1 -4 September) is supporting an initiative to raise public awareness of automatic defibrillators - lifesaving devices designed to be used by non-medical personnel in the case of a cardiac arrest. The same device was used to save the life of Sir Ranulph Fiennes in a Bristol airport in 2003.

Cardiac arrest kills 250 people a day in the UK and may strike unexpectedly even in young athletes. Currently in the UK less than 5% of victims survive. The only effective treatment option is to restart the heart quickly. If you re start the heart with a defibrillator within 3 minutes of the arrest, you can increase the chance of survival to over 70%.

The LIFEPAK® CR Plus is an automatic defibrillator designed for use by the general public after minimal instruction. LIFEPAK specialists will be on hand over the four days at Burghley to demonstrate just how easily these devices save lives and encouraging members of the public to help save a life.

Defibrillators are now increasingly deployed at a wide variety of venues with high visitor numbers such as airports, sporting venues and shopping malls. There is a current drive to increase their availability and train members of the general public to use them. Burghley is privileged to have an early opportunity to help promote this lifesaving initiative.

In addition to this AED initiative Medtronic will supply high tech lifesaving equipment to the medical teams and air ambulance deployed at the Event.

For further information on The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, including a comprehensive and secure online ticket booking service, see the Web site at www.burghley-horse.co.uk or telephone the box office on 01933 304744.

For further information on LIFEPAK defibrillators, see the Web site at www.medtronic-ers.com

Medtronic would be happy to talk to group leaders who would like to pre-arrange a demonstration to their group at Burghley. Please contact Joe McGrath on +44 (0)1923 205149 or email joseph.mcgrath@medtronic.com

- Ends -

For further information please contact:-

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials – Candy Burnyeat on +44 (0)1753 847916 or email candyb.hpim@easynet.co.uk

Medtronic - Joe McGrath on +44 (0)1923 205149 or email joseph.mcgrath@medtronic.com