[pooh]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Thanks for your reply, pooh. You know me, I'm always trying to make sense of things. Perhaps I should have gone to the lecture. But I believe tickets would have been needed and I didn't think it was worth making two trips.

Here are some questions I thought of after reading the article in yesterday's paper. Perhaps you'll have an answer because you were at the lecture.

How many lives have been saved in the past year that were solely due to the use of AEDs?

The newspaper said the survival rate was 44 percent last year. After reading an article about AEDs, one might mistakingly think the 44% survival rate pertains solely to AEDs. But that is the overall survival rate. From what I understand, there are about 122 (911) heart attack calls per year, of which 54 survive. And of those 54 survivers some of the credit goes to compressions where an AED is not available. Some credit is due to the fact that emergency responders can now give quick EKGs in the home before transporting someone to the hospital, not to mention other possible proceedures they do today that were not available in previous years.

So, I guess my question is this: How many AEDs are there in the villages and how many lives-saved are solely attributable to them each year? As far as I know we don't have a separate percentage or statistic for this.

Best regards, stay well.

The lecture was open to all, no tickets required for this event. Responders from our street attended along with people from the fire department....maybe EMT's, as well as a fairly good number of Villagers.

Actually, I don't know how many lives have been saved because of AEDs, but what's important to those of us who have them in our neighborhood is that we have them if needed. The fire department and EMTs do respond quickly, but we neighbors could be at the home of someone who needs CPR or and AED pretty quickly, too, probably just a few minutes before help arrives, but every minute of CPR helps the victim's chances of survival.

There are enough AEDs to cover 6000 households, approximately 12,000 people in neighborhoods that have the devices. Generally one AED per 30-35 individuals. It's up to the homeowners how many they'll have in their area. Neighborhoods or neighbors on streets can decide to become AED owners. The AED is only one part of revival potential, CPR is used first and foremost. The new technique is much easier to do....no checking for breathing, no clearing airway, no removal of clothing, just compressions, compressions, compressions. Blood is oxygenated, you're just helping it circulate to the brain and heart until medical help arrives. AED's are better used if there is another individual helping...that way compressions can continue until ready to shock. One can continue compressions while the other person sets up the AED. Once pads are in place, the AED will tell whether to shock or not. All of this, CPR and having an AED, is sort of like having just a bit of insurance ..... hopefully, neither the CPR nor the AED will be needed. The fire department may have the figures you're looking for VPL, specifically, Capt. Lazenby might know, I don't.

You stay well, too, VPL, ...