States Promote Defibrillator Use
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: 2003-08-04 14:28:05
During a victory rally last fall at a high school in Glen Ellyn, Ill., a festive mood turned suddenly grim. Terry Artman, 55, assistant coach for the cross-country track team, gave congratulatory remarks to his team, took a seat, then slumped to the floor.
Fortunately for Artman, the school had recently purchased two automated external defibrillators (AEDs)—portable devices that deliver a small electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest, a condition that kills up to 220,000 Americans each year.
The school nurse and others helped administer CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and then used the defibrillator to revive Artman. He was awake and alert by the time paramedics arrived.
Today Artman is recovering from his ordeal. He knows the AED and CPR saved his life. "It only makes sense to have [AEDs] available for emergencies everywhere," he says.
Stories like Artman's are becoming common with the fast-spreading use of AEDs. Most states have passed some type of law or regulation making AEDs legal and available in places frequented by the public. In the last year alone, Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine and Oregon have taken action.
Medical personnel, police, emergency rescuers and individual citizens are learning the dramatic lifesaving potential of the devices, small portable machines that function similarly to the "paddles" used in the ER.
AEDs are used to treat cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart's normal electrical signals "fibrillate," or become erratic, diminishing the heart's ability to pump blood effectively. (AEDs are not used for heart attacks, when the flow of blood pumped to the heart is blocked.)
Cardiac arrest is dangerous, "but the cure is known," says Mary Newman, executive director of the National Center for Early Defibrillation. The condition requires an immediate response—restoring proper heart rhythm in two to three minutes is crucial.
The average survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest is just 5 percent. But fast treatment with a defibrillator, along with CPR, greatly improves the chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association.
"The statistics are overwhelming" that AEDs save lives, former American Heart Association President Rose Marie Robertson, M.D., has said in support of AEDs. "And it takes little training to know how to use them."
As they are easy to use, AEDs are catching on and getting support from many national groups. Already standard equipment on many airlines, the devices are now on hand in fitness centers, airports, casinos, office buildings and even in private homes across the country.
Organizations such as the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, the American Red Cross and the National Center for Early Defibrillation support making AEDs widely available.
Philips Medical Systems, an AED manufacturer in Bothell, Wash., is expecting an increase in demand for AEDs. Since 1996 Philips has sold more than 80,000 of the units.
"The way to save lives is by putting the devices close to where people live, work and play," says David Freeman, a Philips marketing director.
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks renewed interest in AEDs—despite an average price tag of $3,000 to $4,500. People feel they need to protect themselves, says Paula Skjefte, vice president for Medtronic's Physio-Control, an AED manufacturer in Redmond, Wash.
Philips' Freeman recommends training in the use of AEDs. "People should understand that [an AED] isn't a Band-Aid or a flashlight."
When used properly and in the right situation, an AED can literally be a lifesaver. "The more we have these devices placed, the more times we're going to see lives saved," says Barbara Welles, CPR/AED program coordinator for the King County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the Seattle area.
The King County EMS began an AED program last July and encourages people with high-risk heart conditions to keep AEDs in their homes. When someone calls 911 from a location with an AED, the 911 operator helps the caller use the device.
In Austin, Texas, some hospitals send heart patients home with defibrillators after training family members in their use, says Warren Hassinger, a spokesman for the Austin-Travis County EMS.
Some AED proponents urge forming "neighborhood watch" groups that provide at least one AED for a neighborhood at a designated location.
CITIES AND COUNTIES ACTIVE
Several counties and townships have begun communitywide programs, placing multiple AEDs in public places.
Los Angeles in January announced plans to place them in and around City Hall, parks and recreation facilities and libraries.
New York City began similar AED deployments a few months ago. Bartlesville, Okla., and Sunnyvale, Calif., have such programs fully operational. An Austin-area program has placed about 2,000 AEDs—an effort credited with saving 76 lives to date.
It's getting easier to gain support for AED programs since state laws are shrinking the potential for liability for people who use an AED.
The chances of being held accountable are "pretty slim," says Drew Smith of AARP's Public Policy Institute. States have really helped the effort in recent years by passing so-called "Good Samaritan" laws protecting people who operate AEDs to treat a cardiac arrest victim.
This year more states—including Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont—are considering measures that fund AEDs and require their placement in public places.
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