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Every once in a while, a story comes out about someone whose heart has stopped in unlikely situations, and very public places. High school athletes who drop during football or basketball games, or took a lacrosse ball to the chest; marathoners falling during races; patrons getting up to leave in restaurants. If there are emergency personnel already on the scene, the chances that these victims of heart attacks or heart arrhythmia will survive is obviously better than if no one knows what to do. However, even if someone who knows the finer points of CPR is present, calling 911 and waiting for them to arrive takes time and may lower the chances that everything will be all right in the end. Though the chances of a high school student collapsing during a game or even in class because their heart stopped are slim, those who are there when it happens often testify that they wished someone or something could have been done to save that person’s life. On some occasions, this something has been the automated external defibrillator (AED). The AED is a portable device that diagnoses life threatening cardiac problems, such as arrhythmia, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular defibrillation. It treats the person through defibrillation, stopping the arrhythmia by momentarily stunning the heart, which reestablishes an effective heart beat. Given that brain damage and death can happen very quickly when the heart stops, it is imperative that use of an AED is done quickly. These are designed to be used by people who are not emergency personnel and their use is taught in CPR, first responder, first aid, and basic life support classes. The simplicity of their use has become one of the rallying cries, not only of those whose lives have been saved, but parents and school administrators who watched as kids as young as 15 or 16 died due to their heart stopping. As a result, placement of AEDs is just as important as learning to use them. They have been placed in government buildings, airports, shopping centers, casinos, sports stadiums, schools and universities. What many people would like is more of these to be available. There have been fundraisers and budget meetings to get these into every school, and most states now include “good faith” use, which is covered under Good Samaritan laws. This ensures that the user is not liable for trying to save someone’s life if something goes wrong and unintentional harm befalls the victim. Furthermore, risks associated with using an AED are minimal. There is a risk of shock to the operator or others if they are touching the person when the AED is in use, and skin burns from the electrodes, blood clots, or abnormal heart rhythms. By increasing the number of AEDs available to the public, perhaps the number of heart attacks or heart stoppages in public will have a happier ending. If you live in the West Palm Beach, Florida area, and you believe a loved one’s life could have been saved had there been an AED available, please contact the law offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A.
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