First Voice EID upgrades NOW AVAILABLE!

Talking First Aid Book / First Aid Calculator

ECC / AHA & National First Aid Science Upgrades were released in late 2010.  For more information on this see our blog post from October:

http://thinksafe.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/the-2010-guidelines-for-cpr%E2%80%A6/

Think Safe’s First Voice EID is ready for CPR/First Aid upgrades to be sent to you, our dealers and customers!

Part No. DC01: The $29 upgrade is sent in a datacard and can be easily inserted/changed by following the user instructions sent with the upgrade.  

Dealers please contact us for further information on how to provide your customers easy upgrades (email:mmaly@think-safe.com).

The First Voice EID is the only Emergency Instruction Device / Talking First Aid Book / First Aid Calculator on the market for business use, containing all first aid & CPR AHA manual current protocols.  The device is easy to upgrade through an accessible dataport on the back of the device as first aid & CPR protocols do change every 3-5 years through scientific studies and advances in first aid / CPR science.

2010 updates implemented in 2011 on the EID protocols include:  CPR updates to include compression depth & C-A-B changes for trained rescuers and hands only CPR for untrained rescuers, education & recognition of gasping vs. normal breathing, and advised AED use for infants.  First Aid updates include additional heat stroke advice, jellyfish sting updated care,  clarification on aspirin use for heart attack symptoms, both US and Canadian Poison Control contact information, bleeding wound care updates (elevation, pressure points, tourniquet, compression bandage use), additional information on when to suspect head, neck or spinal injuries, and snakebite first aid care updates.

Please contact us today for your upgrade:

(email:pwickham@think-safe.com or 888/473/1777)

SafetyMate Trade-in: $50 Value!

Or, if you have an outdated SafetyMate model

NOW is the time to upgrade to First Voice:

$50 REBATE on ANY SafetyMate exchanged

& First Voice EID (AVU5001) ordered!

Expires:  3/31/2011

The 2010 guidelines for CPR….

The American Heart Association (AHA) on October 18, 2010 has unveiled its new guidelines on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), which aim to improve rescue time and make the process easier. The “2010 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care” went online on October 18, 2010 in AHA’s publication, Circulation (http://circ.ahajournals.org/).

No worries, your First Voice manufactured equipment is not obsolete! All First Voice manufactured products and software are fully upgradeable.

Think Safe will work diligently to update our First Voice audio and text prompts, instruction manuals, and any other materials for the 2010 CPR guideline updates.  It will take all major training organizations 6-9 months to release updated training materials to instructors.  All First Voice modifications and updates will be available before December 31, 2010 and we will post updates on our blog and provide email notifications of any upgrade completions and how to notify your customers for their upgrade.

What are the changes in CPR?  Here is a summary of the CPR updates to help you understand differences in protocol and new training requirements.

Starting CPR with chest compressions helps save lives

Emphasizing that every second counts, the new guidelines recommend that instead of first opening an unconscious person’s airway and breathing into his mouth, rescuers—whether onlookers or emergency experts—should initiate chest compressions immediately to revive victims of a sudden cardiac arrest.

The stress on the primacy of chest compressions over oral resuscitation led the AHA to revise the standard CPR procedure from the familiar ABC (Airway-Breathing-Compressions) to CAB (Compressions-Airway-Breathing).

“For more than 40 years, CPR training has emphasized the ABCs of CPR, which instructed people to open a victim’s airway by tilting their head back, pinching the nose and breathing into the victim’s mouth, and only then giving chest compressions,” Michael Sayre, M.D., co-author of the guidelines and chairman of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee, said in an AHA press release. “This approach was causing significant delays in starting chest compressions, which are essential for keeping oxygen-rich blood circulating through the body. Changing the sequence from A-B-C to C-A-B for adults and children allows all rescuers to begin chest compressions right away.”

C-A-B takes into account that, in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest, some amount of oxygen remains in the lungs and bloodstream of the patient. Chest compressions can pump that blood to the victim’s brain and heart sooner. In contrast, the traditional “old” A-B-C method delays the start of chest compressions; the rescuer has to tilt the victim’s head to open up the airway and apply breaths to commence mouth-to-mouth.

Giving initial chest compressions was found to trim off 30 critical seconds in rescue time and potentially helps save the patient’s life.

Hands On

A couple years ago, the American Heart Association recommended that untrained bystanders use hands-only CPR for an adult victim who suddenly collapses. The new guidelines make this the official policy and include health-care professionals as well. The process also applies for children and infants but excludes newborns.

The AHA hopes that with the updated rules, more people will volunteer to help a heart attack victim. Experts have noted the reluctance of passersby to give aid out of panic, uncertainty about their lifesaving skills, and squeamishness of mouth-to-mouth breathing. With hands-only CPR, the steps are streamlined: Call 911 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest until help arrives.

NEW Guidelines Summary

Here are the new 2010 guidelines from the AHA:

1. Before starting, shake the victim’s shoulders and shout to get his reaction. If the victim is unresponsive, call 911, which should now instruct callers by phone to start chest compressions when cardiac arrest is suspected.

2. Removal of “look, listen, and feel for breathing” from the sequence.  Instead, Begin chest compressions. At least 100 per minute from the previous instruction of close to 100. Compressions must also be strong enough to depress the chest by at least 2 inches in adults and 1.5 inches in infants. This will allow blood and oxygen to keep flowing to the brain until medics arrive.

3. Make sure to fully release the chest before beginning the next compression. Avoid leaning on the victim’s chest so it can return to the starting position.

4. For rescuers with no CPR training, continue chest compressions until help comes.

5. For trained health professionals, open the airway after 30 chest compressions and begin mouth-to-mouth breathing. Give two breaths and then resume chest compressions. Continue sets of 30 chest compressions and two breaths until help arrives.

The last resuscitation guidelines were publicized in 2005. For more information on the new rules, check out the heart association’s video “2010 Guidelines for CPR” on YouTube.

There are devices, like the First Voice Emergency Instruction Device (EID) that provide instruction via audio and text for emergencies including CPR – from scene safety to assessment to administration of chest compressions and breaths (if appropriate) to proper PPE for rescuers and cleanup.  The First Voice EID retails at $249US and is available from safety and first aid dealers nationally.  Visit www.firstvoice.us for more information or:

http://www.firstvoice.us/Products/EmergencyInstructionDevice/tabid/285/Default.aspx

Various Think Safe EID brands/models can be purchased in over 6 languages and with US or European protocols (compliant with all major training organizations and easily updateable via datacard replacement ports).  Please contact us for full details on model/part numbers and language configurations at or email us at info@think-safe.com for more information.  Think Safe – Making Minutes Matter and saving more lives with effective CPR and CPR Training!

Sources:Circulation (http://circ.ahajournals.org/)

New Emergency Instruction Device (EID) launches in Europe

Think Safe is proud to write about our 2010 European EID that is now available in Dutch and European English.  For Please see:  http://bit.ly/RescueMate for full details.

European EID - RescueMate

This EID has everything you need and is European & ECC compliant:
- first aid, AED and CPR training and emergency use
- fire training
- evacuation training
- communication training

A full occupational health tool for any workplace or organization!

For more details on how to distribute this product please email us at info@think-safe.com or info@aedsolutions.eu

COMING SOON!  German and French languages

Why do we need AEDs at work or in public areas?

Why are AEDs being mandated and required or “expected” as a standard of care in many places?

We are talking about the nation’s leading killer; killing more people than strokes, AIDS and breast cancer in the US annually.  Each year, more than 300,000 Americans experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside of a hospital. SCA affects people of all ages and with many types of heart problems, but occurs most commonly in adults with coronary artery disease, and so it will only become more common as America ages.

On average in the U.S., just 6.4% of SCA victims survive. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) take chances of survival to over 65%. In fact, early defibrillation (within 2-4 minutes ideally) with CPR is the only way to restore the SCA victim’s heart rhythm to normal. For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chances of survival decrease by around 10%. However, there are not enough AEDs and persons trained in using AEDs and performing CPR to provide this life-saving treatment, resulting in lost opportunities to save more lives. Tragically, 64% of Americans have never even seen an AED. AED PROGRAMS CAN AND DO IMPROVE SURVIVAL RATES.   Communities with comprehensive AED programs that include training of anticipated rescuers in both CPR and AED use have achieved survival rates of 65 percent or higher. Making AEDs more available to lay responders trained in their use saves lives; remember that these are proven to be easy to use and fail-proof FDA approved public use devices.

Why should I be a champion for AEDs?   Can’t we just call 911?
The national average for EMS response in the US is 8-10 minutes.  It is recommended (for best chances of survival) AEDs be used early on and ideally within 2-4 minutes.  There is a very good chance emergency medical services (EMS) cannot respond fast enough to save someone in cardiac arrest, particularly in congested urban areas, high-rise buildings, in remote rural areas, or large facilities. Besides traffic, consider the time needed to make it through building security or in a crowded shopping mall with multiple escalators and all the way to a victim, for example.

“What constitutes gross negligence isn’t spelled out in the law. Per product liability attorneys specializing in AED case law, organizations that have heavy traffic are more at risk if they fail to comply with “standards to provide care” and don’t have an AED at all.  Any facility manager, HR manager or a safety, EHS director at any large or high traffic facility should consider ramifications of not having at least one on premises in the event of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).  It is most likely their own job they are putting on the line and they should argue hard for them.  As a value-add for those directors whom can’t get top down management on board and funding is an obstacle, they should get hard copy evidence on file from their management if they can not get approval for purchase.  The old “CYA” policy!

If you would like to see examples of current AED case law and how settlements and lawsuits have fallen, please contact our AED LAW experts at info@think-safe.com or 888-473-1777.

Products to consider sold by Think Safe to help your organization with AED funding and placement assistance:  AED grants or AED brands and models available.  Contact our AED GRANT DEPARMENT at grants@think-safe.com for more information and best pricing or match funding on the market for your AED funding solutions.

Importance of AEDs

Today we have a guest post from A. Ersin Atay, M.D, a cardiologist from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about the importance of  automated external defibrillators.

AED or Not?

What are cardiologists saying about AEDs?

The community needs more leaders to support and understand the importance of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).

There are no specific “rules” about if or where AEDs should be placed in the community.   Even school mandates regarding AED placement are spotty and minimal.  Being a cardiologist, I am keenly aware of the everyday impact of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), the nation’s largest killer, in our community.

In our practice, we see patients suffering from potentially fatal arrhythmias on a daily basis.  Those people who are identified early before a SCA are the lucky ones.  Unfortunately, half the people who have SCA did not know they had heart trouble until their cardiac arrest occurred.  Here is an example of Normal heart activity: Note the spike pattern with each beat of the heart.

What happens during Sudden Cardiac Arrest:
The heart enters a chaotic rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF) or possibly ventricular tachycardia (VT).  Both of these rhythms can be deadly if not corrected within a few short minutes. The spikes disappear and a rapid, “wavy” pattern occurs.

Problem:

The heart cannot pump blood effectively and the victim will collapse.

Symptoms:

Victim is unconscious, not breathing spontaneously, has no pulse

Solution:

Defibrillation to restore normal rhythm and CPR. The most essential part of this equation is the shock delivered by the defibrillator which actually stops the heart and allows it to restart with a normal rhythm.  To the right is an example of a defibrillation event which saved the life of a victim.

Education on SCA and the use of AEDs is important.  Survival rates above 75% have been achieved where automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) are readily available. Any victim’s family members or friends, coworkers and those who have faced a death from SCA would vote that there is no option.  I agree.

Does your child’s school have an AED?  Is there one at the gym you work out at?  What if someone with SCA collapsed at your workplace?

Talk to your employer,  principal or owner about AEDs – it could be the difference between life or death!

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Think Safe and the Emergency Response and First Aid Field

Paula , The President/CEO of Think Safe,  wanted to share with the world just what Think Safe is, does and promises to do.  Read her letter below and get to know us more!

To give you some background on the first aid/CPR industry – major training organization approved CPR protocols are set by American Heart Association research/science and details of this are on our website.  CPR & First Aid changes do occur usually every 2-3 years.  We have found no other company/competitor that provides that level of support or adherence to date.  We like to say we are “Changing the Face of First Aid”.  We provide technology solutions to the first aid realm that even the major first aid training organizations in the world are not capable of doing. What changes they make due to national first aid science discoveries in their instruction manuals and DVDs (which generally takes a year to switch out after the change) – we make applicable in the software/real-time application world immediately! The whole reason of course is our passion to improve outcomes and to save lives…something many of our clients can testify to!

Basically, in this long winded excerpt – what I am trying to say is that we deliver within our application the right guidelines, the right support and a unique way (patents in office action/pending) of accessing the information real-time or for training.  This is imperative for emergency situations. While the wireless and technology driven world do provide opportunity for instant access to information it is imperative in certain situations to have the best and most recent information accessible!

Thanks for the ear and please provide me any input.  As we grow our company; we are looking to hear back from our readers/reviewers and grow the right way.

Thank you again for your time.  Make it a great day!

What if a 911 call doesn’t work?

In May of 2008, a 911 call went to an operator in a different city.  The caller’s husband passed away as the woman had to hang up and dial 911 again in hopes of connecting to the correct 911 operator.

Are you prepared for all types of emergencies?

KCRG covered this story here.  The husband was having respitory issues and expired before he could get proper help.   Doctors speculated that the extra time spent trying to reach the correct 911 operator did not compound the situation and cause his death.

But what if it was a different situation?

We cannot always rely on our cellphones working,  being connected to the correct 911 operator or having emergency services arrive on time.  Be prepared!

Have a fully stocked first aid kit that is American National Standards Institute (ANSI)  compliant. All of Think Safe’s first aid and responder kits are up to code with ANSI standards and we have the First Aid Cube which goes far beyond ANSI compliance to make sure you’re prepared.

Think about being CPR and first aid certified. Although we hope you won’t need to use your training, there will be no doubt a time in your life that you’ll need to assist someone.  Whether it is a friend who is having a severe asthma attack or a broken wrist happens while outside on a sunny day,  knowing first aid and CPR is vital.

Once you are certified, you might think about investing an in EID (Electronic Instruction Device) to guide you through the steps you were trained to take.

Or if bulky technology is not your thing, think about an emergency response app for your iPhone/iPod Touch!

Remember,  every second counts!

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Stories: Downed Line and Life

A downed power line in Dallas, Texas puts a utility man into ventricular fibrillation.

This week’s story is told by James Moroney, who wrote the previous story.

I have a great Utility Customer in the Dallas, TX area.  He is a very strong believer in AEDs and wishes this there where a mandate for all Utility Trucks to purchase AEDs.  He and I have formed a very strong bond because I have sold him over 15 AEDs and provided him with the right material and resources to understand the importance.

He called me last week to let me know that just 25 miles from the utility company he works for there was a 29 year old gentleman who was employed by a different utility company out in the repairing a down power line. He had the understanding the power had been disabled and the power line was not active so he reached down to grab it and zap! his life was about to change forever.

The gentleman was shocked and sent his heart into VF.

His co-workers immediately began CPR it wasn’t long before they realized that wasn’t going to do anything so they grabbed for the AED and administered the pads to the chest where the vitals read a shock able rhythm and prompted the workers to hit the shock button.  Within seconds the young man’s heart was shocked back into a normal rhythm and he tried to get up and walk it off.  The ambulance crew showed up and took the man to the hospital and was kept over night for precautionary reasons; he was sent home the next day andwas back to work within 10 days.

This is just one of many stories that I hear however. It continues to amaze me that more people are not buying these devices.  I can’t think of a better feeling then heading up the purchase and educating your co-workers on the importance of AED’s and then have it save co-workers, yourself, or even a stranger.

AEDs are important!  Make sure your business and facilities are properly equipped and your staff is appropriately trained.

Do you have a story about being saved by or saving someone with the help of an AED?  Leave a reply and let us know or write a guest post!

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

-Think Safe, making minutes matter.