Jackson’s death raises an interesting question. Does your organization have defibrillators in place for your MVPs. What would be the financial damage to Apple if Steve Jobs died from sudden cardiac arrest? Do you think the Secret Service has an AED in place for President Obama? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to bet they do. What about your business?
Could Michael Jackson have been saved with an AED?
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association said Thursday that pop singer Michael Jackson's death at the age of 50 underscores the tragedy of sudden cardiac arrest, which kills nearly 300,000 Americans each year and is the nation's leading cause of death.
"Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the result of an electrical disruption of the heart and is different than a heart attack. It can strike seemingly healthy individuals without warning, including those with no known history of heart disease. SCA kills an American once every two minutes and can happen virtually anytime and anywhere. Nearly 80 percent of all sudden cardiac arrests occur in the home, like in Mr. Jackson's case. Even though Mr. Jackson's collapse was apparently witnessed, emergency medical services responded promptly and Mr. Jackson's home was near UCLA Medical Center, it was still not sufficient to revive Mr. Jackson because SCA victims usually need immediate CPR and the shock of an automated external defibrillator (AED) if they are to have any chance of survival. Today's news should be a reminder that CPR is a basic life-saving skill that everyone should know, and that AEDs should be widely deployed to enhance the chance of survival."
For more information, please visit www.suddencardiacarrest.org.
SOURCE Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association
http://www.suddencardiacarrest.org
Zoll is now offering a $100 rebate for any Zoll AED Plus purchased between June 30, 2009 and September 14th, 2009. Go to http://www.zoll.com/contact.aspx?id=5034 for more information.
Zoll AED Plus (last six digits of serial number are under 200000)
Go to: http://www.zollaedplusbatteryhelp.com/
Welch Allyn AED 10, AED 20, AED 50 Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and MRL JumpStart AED
Conduct a serial number lookup at: http://www.welchallyn.com/support/customer/AED_lookup.jsp
Physio Control, Inc. LifePak CR Plus Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), LifePak Expess, or LifePak 500
These devices have a few recalls. Go to this website to see the complete list: http://www.physio-control-notices.com/
Access CardioSystems Access AED
This company has gone out of business. I strongly recommend to my customers that they replace this device with an AED from another manufacturer.
DefibTech and Lifeline
Go to this website for more information: http://www.defibtech.com/fa2007/
Philips HeartStart HS1 Onsite, Home, or First Aid
Go to: http://www.medical.philips.com/main/products/resuscitation/hs1.wpd
Cardiac Science Powerheart Automated External Defibrillator
Conduct a serial number lookup at: http://www.cardiacscience.com/services-support/service-announcements-and-upgrades/aed-voluntary-field-corrective-action-10-10-08.php
Samaritan Automatic External Defibrillator by HeartSine
Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-949-218-0092 or 1-866-478-7463. I was disappointed that I could not find any information regarding this recall on their website. This is not in my list of favorite companies. UPDATE: One of the numbers listed on the recall rings to some poor guys house. I advise all my customers to avoid this company.
Please understand that this list is not all inclusive. Check with your devices manufacturer for complete details regarding your unit. If you have an AED not listed here, please e-mail me at nick@safetynetems.org and I will check to see if it has had a recall. One last thing, if you're confused about or don't have the time to handle AED maintenance, software updates, and recalls, the best course of action is to hire an AED company to conduct your maintenance. These companies usually do an excellent job of keeping up with maintenance needs, recalls, software updates, and training. In the southeast United Stated, contact me at www.safetynetcpr.com.
The other day an employee of a human resources firm told me that her boss didn’t want to get an Automatic External Defibrillator because he was afraid that they might get sued if they used one incorrectly. In fact the opposite might be true - recently a Baltimore area swim club was sued because they didn’t have an AED (see http://www.cardiacscience.com/blog/2009/07/aed-lawsuits/).
10 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Buying an Automatic External Defibrillator
Why do I need an Automatic External Defibrillator?
Sudden cardiac death (also known as cardiac arrest) occurs without warning to nearly 300,000 people in the United States each year. It can happen to anyone, at any age. Cardiac arrest can be reversed if the victim receives an electrical shock. The earlier that electrical shock is received, the better the outcome. An automatic external defibrillator (AED) is the tool needed to provide this electrical shock and the AED can be used by almost anyone. Simply put, with an AED you can literally save the lives of your co-workers or loved ones.
How much is this going to cost me?
Buying an AED is not inexpensive. However, consider the value of the device if it saves one life. A good ballpark figure for the initial “start-up” cost is somewhere between $1200 - $3000. Most of the devices that I recommend cost around $1300 - $1700.
Keep in mind that you will also need training for the device which usually runs around $30 - $70/person. A good training program should include a full CPR class that lasts at least 2 hours. If the salesperson says he can train you in 15 minutes, look for another salesperson. While the devices are easy to use, good CPR techniques are necessary. Training should be refreshed every 1 - 2 years.
You will also probably need to purchase a wall-mount to hold the device in an easily accessible area. These will usually run around $100 - $300 depending on the options.
In addition, the AED will need to be services about every two - five years depending on the model. It will need new batteries and pads. This usually runs around $200.
I’m confused. What’s the bottom line?
Okay, for one machine, properly located, with a trained staff of 10 you’re looking at about $2400 initially and about $500 every two years.
Where do I buy one?
It’s always best to deal with someone locally. Consider this situation, you just used your AED on a co-worker. You need new pads and equipment, plus the doctor says that he needs to get some information from the device. If you purchased your device on-line, you may have to wait days for replacement pads, batteries, and for the technology to download the data on your device. With a local representative, they usually arrive same day.
The company I own serves the southeast United States, but I will travel nationally for larger accounts. I also make sure that you have a local representative to assist you with training or when you use the device. Usually, this is a local firefighter, paramedic, or emergency medical technician. Visit my website at www.safetynetcpr.com. If you’re not in the southeast, e-mail me anyway and I’ll put you in touch with a reputable dealer in your area. In another article, I’ll publish a list of questions to ask your salesperson in order to make sure they’re providing you a quality product and adequate support.
Another good vendor in the southeast is Southeast Medical Supply; visit them at www.southeastmedicalsupply.com. In the interest of full disclosure, let me state that I provide most of the training for Southeast Medical Supply.
If there is not a good local vendor, than there are two websites I’d recommend for online ordering.
Of the two, I prefer aedbrands.com. Their prices are about the same and should be consistent with the prices you would receive from a local vendor. The only reason I don’t really like aedsuperstore.com is because they tend to push the Defibtech Lifeline AED which is not one of the AEDs I recommend.
Which AED should I buy? There’s so many.
With so many brands - Zoll, Phillips, Defibtech, Medtronic (or PhysioControl), Welch Allyn, HeartSine, Cardiac Science - there’s a lot of different factors to consider.
First, you need to determine how much you want to spend; not just initially, but also over the life of the device. Some AEDs are relatively inexpensive initially, but they make up for it when it’s time to buy batteries and pads.
Also, you will want to consider who will be using this device as some devices are designed for professional rescuers while others are designed for laypeople. You may also want to consider which AED your local fire and rescue provider use. While not as important as it used to be, matching your device to theirs might benefit the patient.
Honestly, the variables are endless. Send me a quick e-mail to nick@safetynetems.org and I will help you pick a device that is right for you. No charge.
Can I get sued if someone uses the AED wrong?
All states have passed “Good Samaritan” legislation protecting the lay rescuer from lawsuits. AEDs are also very easy to use by a properly trained lay rescuer making misuse nearly impossible.
Where should I put the AED?
Another tough question. The best answer is “that depends”. It all depends on the layout of your building or facility. However, a good rule of thumb is, “You should be able to WALK to an AED from anywhere in you building in less than 1.5 minutes”. In other words, you should be able to retrieve an AED and respond to anywhere in the building in less than 3 minutes. Remember the chances of survival from sudden cardiac death decrease 7-10% for every minute that goes by.
Are you sure my facility needs an AED?
Personally I believe that every public building should have an AED. Here is a general list of facilities that are considered “high risk” for sudden cardiac death.
Who needs to be trained on device use?
You have two options here; you can either train everyone or you can train an emergency response team. Either way, you should try to ensure that at least two trained people will be on the premises at all times.
After I buy the device, is there any maintenance needed or other on-going costs?
Simply put, yes. As mentioned earlier, the device will need new pads and batteries every two - five years depending on the device. The unit will also probably need a software update every five years. In addition, you should also retrain your staff every one - two years. Some manufacturers also recommend that you replace the device after eight - ten years. You should budget around $500 for each AED every two years.
Some manufacturers have a plan where they will replace your pads and batteries for free if you use the AED.
About the author
In addition to teaching CPR and being an AED consultant, Nick Adams also serves as a fire department company officer/paramedic for one of the largest fire departments in Georgia. Nick’s youngest sister survived a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of twenty-two and made a full recovery thanks to the help of by-stander CPR and early defibrillation.
