Customer LifeSaving Event Post-Event Review

HeartSine ECG (click on this link and link on next page to see an actual scanned ECG record of a lifesaving event) One of our customers recently used their HeartSine samaritan HS01 AED to save the life of a fitness club member!

What does all of the attached ECG picture and lines mean?

It took about 1 second to put on the AED pads after turning on the device.  It took the HeartSine about 8 seconds to analyze and recommend shock.  It took 5 seconds for the employees to stand clear and press the shock button.  Shock 1 was administered about 16 seconds into the rescue/response.

CPR then commenced.  You can see the effectiveness of the CPR and then the patient’s heartbeat restored.  At just past 2 minutes from initial use of the AED, EMS arrived and removed the AED pads, placing on their own pads.

The EMS confirmed that the AED being used so quickly was part of the reason the patient survived. The in-house response time was just under 2-3 minutes from time of collapse to time AED arrived on scene to use. WITH EVERY MINUTE THAT ELAPSES, CHANCES OF SURVIVAL DECREASE BY 10%!

This AED was used in a fitness club, in a metro area, response time for EMS was just under 6 minutes from time of 9-1-1 initial call.

This data was pulled from the AED using event review software that is included FREE with the equipment sold by Think Safe.  A medical director for the fitness club was sent the information for their interpretation and for use by the patient’s medical doctors.

Truly, AEDs are powerful lifesaving devices! The only way to reduce the 300,000 plus death toll on Sudden Cardiac Arrest (the nation’s largest killer) is to increase public knowledge on AEDs and improve AED placements for quick and effective defibrillation response for victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).  With average national EMS response times being 8-10 minutes, workplaces and places of high risk for SCA need to purchase AEDs in order to protect their employees or members.

To find out more about how your organization can easily install and implement an AED or AED program; please call us at 888-473-1777.  Our company can arrange for someone to visit you or your facility or we can speak with you over the phone.  All of our AED packages come with the following at no extra charge:  Prescription (Rx), AED Administrator Toolkit (inspection tags, checklists, drills, placement surveys and install direction, AED acquirer compliance checklists to state laws, post-event review technical assistance and more….

Contact one of our AED experts at:  888-473-1777 or info@firstvoice.us for more information and help.

AEDs: Use by Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Healthcare Providers

Just what is the standard or duty to provide care of healthcare, long-term care or elderly care providers for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)?

From my consistent research and study of the AED industry, the standard appears to be that many nursing homes, elderly housing complexes or assisted living facilities still do not have an AED policy or program.   In 2007 a summary study within the industry showed:

http://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610%2807%2900207-1/abstract

Contrarily, here is an Ohio-based midwest article on AEDs & some facilities who have decided to implement AED programs:  http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/358076/many_nursing_homes_lack_device_to_restart_heart_portable_defibrillators/

Now, not taken into consideration is the question regarding “duty to provide care” – and what is really the up-to-date 2010 standard to provide care as it relates to AEDs or CPR in these facilities?

*  Are there any industry mandates taking place? What is the healthcare industry doing about AEDs?

*  What are the trends for DNR orders or Attempted CPR- are the number of DNR orders going up or down as a % of population being admitted to healthcare facilities?  Should nursing homes or long-term care facilities have solid AED programs in place due to a decreasing % of DNR orders and more patient preferences to attempt CPR?

In January 2010 there was a great article I read that showed how UCLA is implementing AED programs across their system, due to the improvement in SCA survival they offer. UCLA Article

Nursing Studies Show AEDs improve SCA response times (this is an additional Nurse.com article on SCA & AEDs in the industry)

I have also read many articles/studies in recent years on in-hospital SCA survival versus out-of-hospital survival and perhaps UCLA is trying to improve SCA survival and change the statistics, which show IN-HOSPITAL survival is lower than OUT-OF-HOSPITAL per many studies.  The above link shows the obstacles facing nurses and staff and why AEDs may be a welcome addition to healthcare facilities.

Regarding long-term and elderly facility industry practices such as DNR advanced directives

Paula Wickham, AED Industry Expert

are followed.  But, methods for identifying CPR status need improvement to enable accurate identification and prompt resuscitation of residents who want CPR:

http://www.gnjournal.com/article/S0197-4572%2898%2990117-3/abstract

It is known that ACPR is infrequently performed in long-term care setting and is rarely successful (successful being defined as admission to the hospital alive).  Survival (defined as discharge from the hospital) is also rare but survival does occur though. All nursing homes are not required to offer ACPR and many nursing homes in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world, do not offer ACPR.

In my assessment from my research, agencies such as the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law & Aging show that about two-thirds (2/3) of the adult population does not have an advanced directive or DNR.  I could not find any recent studies to answer my DNR questions on DNR preferences.

Recent mandates or pending mandates and “encouraged use” Bills have passed in recent years in the following states that are for assisted living facilities or long-term and medical facilities:  Texas, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Florida and others.

Perhaps it will some day become an expectation for all long-term facilities to have an AED and perform CPR but for now, it appears that each facility has to make their own decision but for sure they should consider their state’s legislation or pending legislation as it affects licensing for their facility.

One exerpt of a study states, “Surveys have shown that many elderly in different parts of the world want to be resuscitated, but may lack knowledge about the specifics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Data from countries other than the US is limited, but differences in physician and patient opinions by nationality regarding CPR do exist.”  In the essence of observing the opinions of those elderly that do want to be resuscitated – perhaps there will be some marketing advantage to employ by organizations that implement AED programs.

This article was written by Paula Wickham, President of Think Safe and AED industry expert.  Think Safe has an entire staff of technical experts for AED bills, laws and mandates.  If you would like more information on AED mandates or pending mandates for your long-term or elderly care facility, you may reach us at 888-473-1777 or by emailing info@think-safe.com and requesting a copy or link to your state’s requirements.

2009 Saxcies Finalists Announced!

We want to send a big congratulations to all the 2009 Saxcies  Finalists.

The Saxcies™ honor SafetyXChange members, both individuals and companies, for outstanding achievement and dedication to workplace health and safety.

The Saxcies™ recognize and reward excellence in 5 categories:

• Safety Program of the Year
• Safety Hero of the Year
• SafetyXChange Contributor of the Year
• Safety Trainer of the Year
• The Henshaw Award for Corporate Leadership in Safety

Think Safe won the award for Best New Safety Product in 2006 for Self-contained Emergency Treatment System.

Here’s an excerpt talking about Think Safe from 2006 Saxcies: The Winners:

It was a great choice. First Voice started with an observation. Annette Carter was a flight nurse who responded to medical emergencies. When she’d touch down at the scene of an emergency, she’d find more often than not that the victim had received no, inadequate or even harmful treatment. The problem: People on the scene lacked the information and supplies necessary to stabilize the victim until help could arrive. Sadly, therefore, opportunities to save the victim’s life or prevent serious injury were lost. Nurse Carter saw how the AED had saved victims of cardiac arrest. A light bulb went off. “Let’s use the same concept and technology to save victims of other kinds of medical emergency,” she resolved.

The result is First Voice. First Voice provides a series of interactive Yes/No verbal prompts for more than 30 medical emergencies including burns, broken bones, HAZMAT incidents, severe bleeding and CPR. Like an AED, it empowers a person on the scene to provide lifesaving first aid, even if that person has absolutely no training. It even comes with pre-packaged supplies.

We won one of their prestigious helmets.

To learn more about the JumpBag SET System – or any of the other 13 – you can do so at the Think Safe site or feel free to reach out via Twitter, email or call at 888-473-1777.

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!

Friday Fun: First Aid/Emergency Quiz

It’s time for some more Friday fun!

For this Friday, we will be taking a quick quiz from Healthline.

Test your knowledge about first aid and emergencies!

So, how did you do?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone help you answer those questions?  We think so!  That’s why at Think Safe we create products that assist you in emergency situations.  If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch,  check out the Resqr app!  If you work for a business,  think about an EID.

And as always, consider being trained in First Aid and CPR!

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.