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A few comments about the great discussion on Defibrillators (AED's). My daughter and I coordinated the purchase and installation of dozens of AED's for Puget Sound area Jr. and Sr. High schools, following the deaths of 5 students in 2000. Surprisingly there is an unknown risk to teenage kids as they become exposed to organized sports in schools. No one knows how many young kids die each year because of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), some estimates run into the thousands. This is a bit off topic, so I'll return to the scope of discussion, suffice to say if you have kids, nephews or nieces in Jr. or Sr. High School, go out and make sure they have AED's in their schools. www.la12.org and www.early-defib.org have much more info on this topic.
Regarding the boating community, there is a subject that I don't think has gotten quite the attention it deserves, specifically for the cruising couple. The key to successful use of an AED is time. If the SCA isn't witnessed immediately, and corrective action taken within a very short period of time (4 min), the results are not going to be favorable. The stress of seeing a spouse or loved one in cardiac arrest is daunting, very few people are capable of dealing with it. All the commentary about training is crucial, but in the end you have to ask yourself if you or your partner have the psychological makeup to effect this kind of rescue. I think boaters in general are more apt to be able to perform, but in reality very few people initiate bystander CPR (less than 2%). Take some time, meet with local American Heart Association or Red Cross people that are knowledgeable in lay response, but aren't selling AED's, and then make a decision. It may be that the best use of that boat
unit is upgrading to an automatic inflatable PFD, or getting an EPIRB. If you have all the other bases covered, and you get educated enough to feel this is a great decision, make sure you fly a banner identifying your boat as has having an AED aboard. Because if your moored near me, I'm going to buy you a bottle of wine, and make sure you know who I am, your the kind of person I want to know!
- Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of all "heart attacks" involve the electrical system of the heart, in a manor that an AED may be effective.
- In most cases advanced life support following a cardiac arrest is crucial, but there are many instances where patients need little or no follow-up care. You must contact 911 (or equivalent) during or following use.
- Portable AED's may not be as "powerful" as the hospital units with respect to the current delivered to effect rhythm conversion. Manual units may be able to deliver higher shocks, but by that time it may not be relevant to the lay rescuer. There are studies that suggest AED's are better at identifying convertible rhythms that EMS personal.
-Young adults and children are capable of using AED's
-You can't hurt someone with an AED, although because we are discussing using them in and around boats, you need to be cautious about water and electricity.
Finally, AED's run between $1,200 and $2,300. Access Cardio Systems makes the least expensive unit I know of, but I really like the Medtronics CR Plus.
Safe Boating, Scott
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