I have used these devices in training sessions and they are quite easy to use. Pretty much fool-proof. They do require regular maintenance and supplies which will need to be paid for. The usual morons will steal or vandalize them so insurance may be wise. The success rate of cardio-pulmonary resusciation by amatuers is very low. Most of those who will be treated with these devices as part of CPR will die. When people die suits are born. So liability insurance for these devices (or protective laws) is a must.
The ones I've seen in N Yorks have a dedicated landline. You pick the phone up, the operator gives you the code to access the machine, then guides you through its use.
I'm interested in defibs because one saved my wife's life.
They wont shock someone unless the computer is sure. They are far better than trained people at deciding when not to. They aren't just defibs they are ecg machines.
That might still be hours better than the ambulance service.
Good question. Since it takes two to do a reliable CPR you need at least one more person present when the casualty occurs (or a means to summon them - I presume a 999 call for heart attack will stay open).
I can see the point of them in community buildings where there is a good chance of someone who knows what to do being present. I can't really see how it will work for an incident that occurs in the home.
Even if the thing is easy to use there is a world of difference between doing it to an inanimate Anatomical Annie and a real casualty. Some of what has been posted has been very helpful on the positive case for having one - in particular this info
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But there is still a real concern about legal liability with the predatory ambulance chasing lawyers always circling in the wings.
The PC's concern comes form the fact that it would likely be sited on the registered village green and as such it's responsibility. Checking it regularly once a week sounds like a bit of a bind too.
Nothing although the resale value is likely to be low. Doesn't stop them nicking much cheaper life belts though :(
They prefer catalytic converters off Landrovers round here - the extra ground clearance makes them easier to remove apparently.
The cynics in our community think putting one in will be used as an excuse to downgrade the ambulance service still further.
Actually that is unfair to the ambulance service - they are doing their best but with most of their kit parked up outside A&E for hours on end waiting to hand over patients to already full hospitals.
Is this not a replay of the don`t sweep snow off your pavement , you could get sued nonsense,
Seen the argument about liablity played out over lifebelts in a coastal village.
After accident that left child in permanent coma, campaign to reinstate lifebelts, council says they always got nicked and are concerned about liability.
Concerned resident buys one on Amazon and mounts it on sea wall.
Council suddenly discover precedentd absolving them of liability on lifebelts provided round country park loch,within days have several new lifebelts join concerned residents one.
Last kids from holiday park that tried to nick one were rounded up within 2 hours, no one likes someone pissing about with life saving equipment.
That was one of the functions of the machine I saw demonstrated. It really was designed to be used by just about anybody, without training, unlike older machines, which need a trained operator.
Anybody at hand who wants to help the victim and who has seen the box on the wall.
The one in a local garden centre is marked as sounding an alarm if the wall box is opened. Presumably that is both as an anti-theft deterrent and to summon the centre's first aiders.
" An AED is a portable defibrillator especially designed for people with no medical background. When applied to the victim, voice commands and screen messages will guide the user step-by-step through the process and its intelligent technology will only allow it to shock a ?shockable? heart rhythm."
A lot of rural places where there are not too many scrotes have a K6 telephone kiosk that BT would like to remove due to lack of use. but residents wish to retain because it looks pretty and is part of the scenery. BT are asking parish councils to take on the maintenance of some if they want them to remain. They could become the ECG Point. While not totally secure it would not be that difficult to equip with a surveillance camera that observed any scrote which may discourage some ,power (used for the light) and a phone line will be available to be reused. Have a loud audible alarm go off as soon as the machine is removed,in a genuine emergency it won't matter providing it's not so loud enough to give someone a heart attack so you need two machines. Nothing like that can be 100% secure ,you would get instances of schoolboys attempting to revive a dead rabbit . All depends on the sort of place a community is.
By attaching the electrodes to the victim's chest. It does a quick and dirty ECG, then fires itself off if and only if it's of the opinion that defibrillation would help.
So what happens if in years time, someone has a hear attack near where the defib was going to be located, but it hasn't because people were worried about liability if they used it and something bad happened,
If the heart attack victim dies, could the family sue the council for not installing the life saving equipment when they had the chance?
I didn't spot any reference to language choice in the wiki article.
I'd imagine the language would be preset for its intended geographical location. Language choice might eventually become an optional feature in later models (they'll still startup using the default language for the region - when time is of the essence, the last thing you want is any additional time consuming choices being forced on the 'Good Samaritan').
London Ambulance Service have a scheme called Shockingly Easy. They will supply (at a cost) an automatic defib & provide annual training.
Interesting;
" A defibrillator should always be taken to a seriously ill or injured patient, but on occasions people responsible for the machine might be unaware that a
999 call has been made to the ambulance service.
We have an automatic alerting system, which will inform the accredited organisation when there is a medical emergency nearby. As well as ensuring that someone with life-support skills is informed, the call will alert staff to the arrival of ambulance crews.
We will therefore require a minimum of one and a maximum of five telephone numbers that will be contacted in the event of a 999 call being made from the defibrillator site. These numbers can include the reception or security desk, a duty manager?s mobile and any on-site medical personnel".
Not to mention picking up drunks/druggies etc and the 'maternataxi' runs where they get to the call, decide to take the pregnant woman to hospital (to cover their own arse's) and the husband says "I'll follow behind in the car".
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