[Fredslist] Do you know where your companies defibrillator is located??

[David Saltzman]

 Could a Defibrillator Have Saved Tim Russert?
19 June 2008
New York Times Blogs

A nagging question has emerged in the wake of the death of NBC’s Tim
Russert. Where was the defibrillator?

NBC News has declined to comment on whether an automated external
defibrillator, or A.E.D., was nearby at the time of Mr. Russert’s collapse
or why a defibrillator wasn’t immediately used. Cardiac arrest typically is
caused by a chaotic heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, which can
be restored to normal if treated early with electric shock. Many public
spaces, including airports, casinos, office buildings and even golf
courses, are now equipped with A.E.D.’s, which are the only real hope for
surviving a cardiac arrest. An A.E.D., which is about the size of a laptop
computer, is a computerized device that analyzes the heart rhythm and
prompts even an untrained rescuer to deliver an electrical shock if needed.


Although paramedics carry defibrillators, they typically arrive several
minutes or longer after a person collapses, which often is too late to make
a difference. Automated defibrillators allow anyone to administer the
life-saving shock within minutes after the arrest occurs. Not all abnormal
heart rhythms are responsive to the shock treatment.

Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are only 1 percent to 5
percent and usually are predicted by how quickly emergency workers arrive
at the scene. But in studies in which defibrillation was applied almost
immediately, survival rates have reached as high as 80 percent. With each
minute of delay in defibrillation, survival chances drop by about 10
percent. In June 1999, A.E.D.’s were installed throughout Chicago’s O’Hare
and Midway Airports so that response time would be about one minute at any
location. In the first 10 months, 14 cardiac arrests occurred, and 9 of the
14 victims, or 64 percent, survived.

According to Washington physician Dr. Michael Newman, who was Mr. Russert’s
doctor, NBC had a portable defibrillator on site; however, it’s not clear
how soon after the collapse it was retrieved. Just as paramedics were
arriving, NBC employers were preparing to use it, Dr. Newman said. Instead,
the E.M.S. workers took over, defibrillating Mr. Russert three times before
his arrival at Sibley Memorial Hospital.

In an interview, Dr. Newman said he did not know the exact amount of time
between Mr. Russert’s collapse and the first effort at defibrillation;
however, he said it was “significant — more than you would want.”

One of the many lessons from Mr. Russert’s death is that everybody should
find out whether their building has a portable defibrillator and where it
is located, and then learn how to use it. In the event that someone
collapses, the first step is to call 911. If more than one person is
present, one should start CPR while someone else quickly retrieves the
defibrillator.

A.E.D.’s are surprisingly easy to use. Once they are turned on, a voice
gives you detailed instructions on what to do. To learn more about A.E.D.’s
go to the American Red Cross Web site here. WebMD offers this video showing
how A.E.D.’s are used.

David Saltzman
Indirect Channel Manager
Philips Healthcare
NYC and LI
1-800-218-2045 x5908 VM
1-516-759-3422  Office
1-516-459-1224 Mobile
1-516-467-3015 Fax
David.Saltzman at Philips.com

*Please note new mobile address*
Mobile E-Mail:  scds3 at optonline.net

Product Demonstrations:  Onsite, FRx, FR2+, MRx
http://www.heartstart.com


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