Before the Concert Got Started, Brad Paisley’s Dad Helped Save A Life.

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There was a great live-saving story out of Kansas from Country blog, Got Country?, about Doug Paisley, who is father of famous country singer Brad Paisley, saving the life of a employee at the Intrust Bank Arena before his son’s concert began. Being at the right place at the right time, Doug was there to give CPR to a man having a heart attack.

Here’s how Got Country? put it:

A longtime volunteer firefighter and EMT, Paisley said he noticed an arena employee on the floor in a service hallway and performed CPR before paramedics arrived. He was just about to use an automated external defibrillator — or AED — when paramedics took over.

“I had the AED open, ready to attach it,” Paisley said Tuesday. “I kind of backed off and let them use theirs.”Paisley credited another arena employee with helping him assist the man. He was adamant that it was a team effort. Steve Cotter, director of Sedgwick County EMS, said crews were on the way to the arena to work the concert when the man suffered a heart attack. Paramedics arrived in about three minutes.

“There were a couple of gentlemen doing citizen CPR on him,” Cotter said. “One of them happened to be Brad Paisley’s father, but we didn’t know that at the time.”Cotter said paramedics “got a pulse back” and transported the man to a hospital.

“If the man’s life was saved, it was because a lot of things came together,” Paisley said. “There’s nothing heroic about this. Heroic is when you’re standing on the front lines in Afghanistan or Iraq. … It was definitely a good thing to walk away from.”

Not only did Doug Paisley have the training to know what to do, he had the willingness to take proper action in an emergency.

Did you know it doesn’t take much to be just as prepared as Doug was? Think Safe has nationally certified online training in automated external defibrillator use, CPR and first aid. Or take a look at the award-winning emergency preparedness tools a part of the First Voice line of life-saving products.

Have questions? Feel free to call at 888-473-1777 or email us today!

Are the AED pads interchangeable?

Donald J. Linder, DO

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Answer: No AED pads are interchangeable between public access defibrillator models. However, there are a few public access AED devices that are high-end brand name devices that allow for adapters and compatibility with EMS models for Zoll, Philips or Medtronic (Physio Control).

Many times EMS agencies/personnel will ask their area businesses considering an AED purchase to consider this feature because they say it saves them time and resources when arriving on the scene.  They can take an already adhered set of pads and then hook them up to their machines and start treatment sooner under their watch.  Of course, I understand why they would want to save time and decrease use of resources.  But, what has to be considered is “WILL EMS ACTUALLY USE THE PADS PUT ON BY A LAY RESCUER?”

As an industry expert, medical director, ER Physician and former paramedic, I can tell you that the vast majority of volunteer and paid EMS/1st responders medical direction personnel have put protocols in place that do not promote this practice, in order to decrease malpractice liability and potential lawsuits.

While some AED reps (only those who have adapters) promote this feature the problem is that litigation fears in the real world makes it very hard to follow through on something that appears to make a ton of sense.

What is a medical director’s opinion on this matter? If the pads are applied incorrectly there is an element of unknown in the treatment of the patient.  Ideally, they will not use the pads placed with the AED but rather will remove those and apply their own set of AED pads that they know are applied correctly. They know have not expired or are not recalled and in fact do work properly, and that they know are OK to use to treat their patient.

With this mindset, the adaptable pads feature appears to be something that is overpriced and not worth the debate which it creates, when the feature is being promoted in the public access defibrillation market where pads are placed by layrescuers and untrained EMS professionals.

Bottom line:  what does the local EMS squad’s medical director have to say on this issue? It is better to let them weigh in and give their opinion as it may save time and resources in the AED selection process for area public access defibrillation programs.
Donald James Linder, D.O.

Medical Director

Linn County Medical Examiner

IA Licensed Physician #02997

Snack time for Croc

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This doesn’t look real to me, but if it is I sure hope that guy had an AmpuSave handy when this happened!