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On the Beach, Out of Reach… of an AED
Nicole
As tourists prepare to vacation to exotic destinations, cruise the Caribbean or catch a flight, they may be surprised to find that 911 is not always available for emergency assistance. To be out of reach from cell phone reception means we should “have a first response plan,” in the face of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Approximately 383,000 cases of SCA occur outside of a hospital, most victims show no signs or symptoms prior to collapse.
To bring more gravity to the tourist demographic, only around 8% of the cardiac arrest victims outside of a hospital survive. With help from American Heart Association, FDA, Federal Aviation Administration, and bold private companies, public access to defibrillation is becoming more prevalent world-wide.
- Railway
Transit The New Jersey Transit provides transportation over New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia with over 200 million passengers annually. Out of the 200 million commuters per year, 6 lives have been saved by an AED Defibrillator. The NJ Transit Director of Organizational Services claims “the results have been nothing but positive,” and continues to say AEDs achieve “one of our core mission objectives… for the safety or our customers.” The common occurrence of AEDs in public transit systems is leading to standard of care for cardiac arrest victims.
- Airlines
Airports and commercial airlines are some of the busiest places on earth. Before 2004 there were few medical devices on-board international airplanes. As a result, as many as 1,000 people a year were killed by sudden cardiac arrest on international flights. AED legislation made progress starting in 1996 when the FDA approved AED Defibrillator on-board flights. In 1997 The Airline Passenger Safety act required “adequate medical supplies and equipment” to treat in-flight medical emergencies.
Airlines have found it more cost effective to have AEDs aboard aircrafts than to disrupt entire airports for emergency landings. The latest law passed in 2004 by the Federal Aviation Administration regulates that an AED will be incorporated into the on-board medical supply kit of every domestic, commercial, and charter aircraft. AED regulation for planes out of reach from emergency medical services saves lives and reduces liability.
- Ships
Surrounded by water, cruise ships are the perfect getaway; far from work and dry land. If a ship is not properly equipped SCA can easily add to the climbing death toll. For this reason, cruise ships have a medical staff and AEDs aboard. By implementing an AED program on board passengers and trained staff members will have to have the ability to deliver treatment to a patient.
Whether vacationing far away or commuting on the regular F-train downtown, it is important to take notice of the AED Defibrillators around you. Next time you are out of reach from cellular service and medical attention, the AED on the wall could save a life. Encourage your local transportation to implement a program in your community.
5 Things You Should Know About an AED
Nicole
So your school system, recreational park, or neighborhood association bought an AED, now what? Well here are the top five things you should know to keep it in life saving condition…
It’s all about Time
Sudden Cardiac Arrest can strike a person in an instant. From the time the victim collapses they have a 5-7 minute window until brain permanent brain damage occurs and 10 minutes until death. The American Heart Association suggests that an AED be placed in a central location, with a goal of using an AED within 3 minutes from the time the victim collapses. When considering AED implementation a site assessment will help determine the most effective location for the AED device.
Simple to Use, Even for You
AED technology has advanced over the years. They have become user friendly and have simple features such as fully-automatic (no shock button). During a cardiac event, the AED can analyze a heart rhythm, record an EKG, deliver shock, and coach bystanders through CPR prompts.
Safe and Effective for Everyone
All AED’s on the market are capable of detecting at least two different types of heart arrhythmias. The treatable heart rhythms are ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. When the device senses a shockable rhythm, it prepares to deliver therapy to the patient. In the event the person has collapsed for a non-cardiovascular reason the AED will instruct the responder to start CRP and will not advise a shock. AEDs are absolutely accurate in detecting the heart arrhythmias making them safe and effective for anyone to use.
Reliability is in the Design
During an emergency cardiac event, the victim is relying on the AED to save their life. AEDs are designed to perform self-tests to ensure the components are all working correctly. They have visual and audible alerts to signify when they need servicing. Pads and batteries are checked on a daily or weekly basis, while some machines perform a full shock at least once a month. AED manufactures realize the importance of having a reliable AED, so you can count on the AED to work in coordination with proper maintenance.
Low Maintenance
Maintenance on an AED is simple, but imperative. The machine and AED supplies require a routine monthly check-up. It consists of ensuring that the battery is working properly, the pads are not expired, and the information is documented on an inspection tag. Batteries have a useful life that ranges from 2-5 years depending on the manufacturer. Pads typically expire after 2 years, and they display the expiration date on the packaging. It is helpful to keep a set of AED Supplies in the case as well.
Understanding the importance of an AED can effectively save a life. Having a AED device that is close distance from common areas will shorten shock delivery. Simplicity develops confidence in a first responder. Reliability in an AED ensures the device will work when needed. In the face of an emergency know that the AED is a powerful tool that saves lives.
Sudden Death on the Soccer Field
Nicole
Sudden death is a soccer term used to describe a tie breaker for a team to win a match. Sometimes the term can have a more fatal meaning. On March 17th 2012, English Premier League soccer star had suffered from sudden death, better known as sudden cardiac arrest.
Muamba was standing in the backfield during the match when he suddenly collapsed. The match paused immediately and every fan in the stadium fell silent. Medics from each team rushed onto the field and resuscitated Muamba with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) accompanied with CPR. His heart required several shocks before it began to pump blood on its own.
An AED administers an electric shock to a heart in ventricular fibrillation. Every AED is capable of analyzing the heart rhythm and determining whether a shock in needed. The machines prompt bystanders to administer treatment. The shock applied to the patient restarts the electrical impulse that stimulates the heart to beat. In over half the cases of sudden cardiac arrest, more than one shock is needed to revive a patient.
It took medics 6-10 minutes to bring 23 year of Muamba back to life. He was rushed to London’s Chest Hospital where he is being diagnosed with a rare condition that affects highly trained athletes. Fabrice Muamba is not the first soccer star to suffer from cardiac arrest in a match. It has happened worldwide to athletes of all ages. Italy has gone as far as screening children for heart conditions before allowing them to participate on a soccer teams. This has drastically decreased cardiac arrest on the field by 90%.
Muamba is making encouraging progress, yet still remains in intensive care unit at London’s Chest Hospital. His condition is serious but stable.
AED Maintenance is NOT an Option
Nicole
The buzzer sounds to conclude a victory for the Fennville High School basketball team. Minutes after the game 18-year old all-star athlete Wes Leonard died of sudden cardiac arrest. Unaware of a previous heart condition, he played with all his ability. During a moment of glory for his team, with adrenaline surging through his heart; the electrical rhythm of Wes’s heart quivered out of control.
Quickly, the school administrator found the AED in the back of a gym closet. Due to poor AED maintenance the battery of the AED was dead, and the AED would not turn on. Without defibrillation 18-year old Wes had no chance to survive.
AED Maintenance is not an option. Like any other electronic device that runs on a battery, an AED battery depletes overtime. In addition, electrode pads expire after approximately 2 years. Regular maintenance checks on devices are required to keep an AED in compliance.
Maintenance is facilitated when the AED is constantly visible and accessible. The machines are designed to make alerts when batteries or electrodes are running out of useful life. Accessibility ensures that the machine will be monitored, but most importantly be readily available to any lay responder in the face of a cardiac crisis.
In the case of Wes Leonard, the device was removed from the wall and made inaccessible, due to students tampering with the device. Students and staff should be equally informed of the lifesaving capabilities an AED delivers. If young people are better educated to the purpose of an AED, they will be more apt to leave it alone. Better knowledge of AED’s can make the difference between life and death.
Looking back to March 3, 2011 Wes Leonard was one of about 1,000 others that day to die of sudden cardiac arrest. The cure is simple defibrillation. However, the AED’s alone will not save a life. Maintenance, Accessibility, and Education will better prepare the common person to save a life.
For more information about Wes Leonard check out the Sports Illustrated Link:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1194912/index/index.htm
ROI of an AED
Nicole
Commonly, ‘Return on Investment – ROI’ is used to calculate the value of a newly proposed project for any business, church or school. ROI takes account the earning power of and investment compared to the cost. I am here to point out that some investments are not measured in dollars, but in the ability to save a life.
First I would consider the capital gains of saving a beloved family member or friend. For instance, your elementary school aged child has a basketball game in the local public school, and in an instant the coach falls to the ground in cardiac arrest. What now?
• Call 911 Emergency Services.
• Discover the AED your child’s elementary school provides.
• Begin CPR , defibrillate patient and await medical professionals.
At this point in time, the investment of an AED is priceless. The overall gain from a $1400 device is a father, coach and friend that survived because of an effective AED implementation program. Approximately 3,000 Americans a day fall victim to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. The investment of an AED may seem tight for any budget; however, the life that is saved may be your own.
I will leave you with a few fundraising ideas to consider beginning your AED implementation program:
1. Ask 70 members of your church or school for a $20 donation. Explain how the funds will be used for an AED. Track the progress of your fundraiser in a public area. Lastly, offer to demonstrate the AED to all people that have generously donated.
2. Have members of your school or congregation donate items they no longer need to a Community Garage Sale. Use the proceeds to buy an AED, and hold a training to encourage everyone to understand the benefits.
Automated External Defibrillator Manuals, Brochures, and Data Sheets
Nicole
This week, once again, we want to point you to our free AED Resource Center and direct your attention to our AED documents section. In this area, we provide access to a large selection of AED manuals, data sheets and brochures for the automated external defibrillators that are on the market today. We have provided this resource to help you decide on the best AED model for your needs by offering AED brochures and data sheets, or to replace an AED manual that may have been lost or become worn out.
On the AED Document Center page, you will find links to Philips AED manuals for the HeartStart Onsite, the FRx, and the FR2 AED models. We also have Cardiac Science brochures for the Powerheart G3 Pro and G3 Plus AEDs. You will also find Medtronic Physio-Control AED data sheets for the LIFEPAK CR Plus, 1000 and 500 AED models as well as Zoll AED Plus and Zoll AED Pro AED manuals, brochures and data sheets. Available for download also, are Defibtech Lifeline and Defibtech View brochures and data sheets and HeartSine samaritan PAD brochures and data sheets. The Welch Allyn AED 10 and AED 20 AED manuals, data sheets and brochures can also be downloaded free.
AED Brands wants you to have as much information about your AED model as possible. Making the data easily accessible was just as important as what we made available. All you have to do is visit the AED Document Center page, click on the AED model of your choice, and view the AED manuals, data sheets, brochures, and more for your automated external defibrillator model.
IP Ratings for Automated External Defibrillators
Nicole
As most of us know, electrical items, such as automated external defibrillators, as well as radios, televisions and computers, can be sensitive to moisture and dust. We’ve all seen the warning labels on hair dryers that show how dangerous it can be if such an item is used near water. Generally speaking then, it’s a good idea to keep all electrical equipment away from water and other moisture, as well as dust. The risk of electrocution is the main reason, but also, dust and water can short out an electrical component making it unusable. However, sometimes keeping electrical items away from moisture is not possible, especially if it’s an AED located in a gym or pool area, or out on a golf course. It becomes necessary then, to have special enclosures made for AEDs and other electrical components to protect them from dust and water.
The European Committee for Electro Technical Standardization developed what is known as Ingress Protection (IP) ratings for such enclosures. The IP code specifies the environmental protection that each enclosure provides. The ratings normally have two numbers but sometimes three. For automated external defibrillators, two numbers are used.
The first number is used to indicate the level of protection a piece of equipment has against solid objects or dust. The second number indicates the level of protection the unit has against water. For example, if an AED has an IP rating of 11 that would mean the unit is protected against solid objects that are up to 50 mm, or a force equivalent to the accidental touch of a person’s hands. The second number 1 indicates that the AED is safe from vertically falling drops of water, such as condensation. If an automated external defibrillator has an IP rating of 00 or if one of the numbers has been replaced with an X, then there is no protection. Therefore, an IP rating of X1 would indicate that the unit is only protected against vertically falling drops of water, or condensation, not against dust or other solids.
AED Brands has put together a chart that shows the various levels of protection for AEDs with IP ratings. To view the chart, please visit the AED Brands free Resource Center. You can also compare the IP ratings for the AEDs we carry by accessing the product comparison feature we have on our home page.
Long QT Syndrome and Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Nicole
Educating the American public about the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and the importance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) is the mission of AED Brands. SCA is one of those health conditions that can be hard to treat and even harder to predict. However, today we want to direct your attention to one of the predictors that can serve as an early warning system, if you will, of a person’s likelihood of suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.
Long QT Syndrome, or LQTS, is a heart disorder and it can seriously affect the rhythm of a person’s heartbeats. LQTS can either be inherited or acquired (by taking certain medications). People who have inherited Long QT Syndrome do so through one or both of their parents. Therefore, if a family member has tested positively for LQTS, it is imperative that all family members be tested, including the siblings, children and parents of the person who tested positively.
People taking medications such as Thorazine, Biaxin, Prozac, Haldol (and many others) need to be aware that they could acquire Long QT Syndrome by using these drugs and they need to be aware of the side effects that indicate LQTS before a sudden cardiac arrest happens. Long QT Syndrome is usually discovered when a person experiences unexplained seizures or fainting spells, especially during an exercise session or other physical activities, or even upon becoming intensely angry, frightened, or startled.
The good news is that Long QT Syndrome can be treated by medications, surgery or implantable defibrillators and that it can be diagnosed in people with the inherited form. We have an article on Long QT Syndrome in our free AED Resource Center where you can find more information on LQTS and why it causes the heart to beat erratically. We hope you will educate yourself, and your friends and family, about this life-threatening heart condition and help us spread the word about Long QT Syndrome and its potential relationship to sudden cardiac arrest.
ADA Guidelines for AED Placement
Nicole
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted to ensure that Americans who are differently-abled than the general public have the same rights as everyone else to be employed. The ADA publishes guidelines for buildings and facilities so that building and business owners know what the law requires in terms of the placement of health and safety equipment. AED Brands recommends using the ADA’s guidelines to determine proper automated external defibrillator (AED) placement in all public gathering places.
Today we posted an information page in our free AED Resource Center outlining the ADA’s specifications for automated external defibrillator mounting heights and the proper wall projections for AEDs that are stored in wall cabinets. We recommend reading these ADA guidelines to make sure that your AED program is compliant.
The groundbreaking legislation called the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted for employers with 25 or more employees in July 1992. Two years later, in July 1994, employers with 15 or more employees were covered. The ADA established that discrimination against individuals with disabilities was illegal in the workplace. This meant that employers could not refuse to hire an individual with a disability for a position if that individual met the essential requirements of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
AED Brands believes in the Americans with Disabilities Act and continues to work with employers all across the country to ensure that the numbers of people who die from sudden cardiac arrest each year keep declining.
Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act
Nicole
In January 2000, the 106th Congress of the United States amended the Public Health Service Act to include the Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA). On January 24, 2000, the President signed the Act. The CASA recommends the placement of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in all Federal buildings and provides for Federal Good Samaritan protection to emergency first responders who use AEDs.
AED Brands has provided a copy of CASA in our free AED Resource Center. We encourage you to download and read the Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (PDF format) and to think about your own place of business. It doesn’t matter if you don’t work in a Federal building. All public gathering places, such as churches and synagogues, convention centers, fitness centers and gyms, golf courses and schools, should have AED programs in place and AED units on site.
The American Heart Association estimates that over 350,000, maybe up to 400,000, Americans suffer from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each year. If left untreated, many of these SCA victims die. If an AED is available and used, up to 30 percent of these SCA suffers may survive. SCA victims can be young or old, healthy or unhealthy. It doesn’t matter. Every American is a potential SCA victim. That is why AED Brands has made it our mission to educate and inform the public about automated external defibrillators and their importance in the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest.
AEDs are the only way to get an SCA victim’s heart out of ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF occurs when the heart starts to beat erratically and out of rhythm. Within seconds, the victim loses consciousness, collapses and stops breathing. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be started immediately but it alone will not, and cannot, defibrillate the heart. An AED is the only life-saving option.
Time is of the essence during an SCA. For each minute that passes during sudden cardiac arrest, the chances of a victim suffering brain damage or death, increases by ten percent. This means, that in less than ten minutes, the victim could die. Using an AED dramatically increases the chances of survival.
AED Brands wants to educate and inform the American public about automated external defibrillators and their importance in the treatment of SCA. Without early defibrillation, a victim’s survival is in jeopardy. Without AEDs available in all public gathering places, SCA victims hardly stand a chance. Please read the Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act and consider starting an AED program at your place of business, worship or recreation center. Your life could depend upon it!
