Difibulators
 

Looking for comments, pro or con about this new craze going around TV

how about enlightening some of us about what the "new craze" is supposed to be?
Then I can comment.

new craze....saving lives.

If you want to call it a "craze", it's a darn good one. People in your neighborhood ban together, train together and donate enough money to purchase, install and maintain the AED. Then there are the neighbors who have volunteered to respond to a call from the 911 center. These neighbors will give what assistance is needed until the emergency responders arrive. We are trained and certified in CPR and trained to use the AED. This "craze" could save your life if you were to go into sudden cardiac arrest. When you think of the size of The Villages, the placement of the emergency responders and the road system we have you will appreciate the response time of your neighborhood volunteers. To save one life makes the whole venture worthwhile.

DEFIBRILLATORS, (AED's) usually located at Regional Recreation Centers, too.

I feel very lucky to have someone in my neighborhood take the bull by the horns and get this in place. I also am amazed at the number of neighbors that chose not to participate but will still benefit if a 911 call comes from their home. There is an AED on the house directly across the street from me and I am comforted by this. I can't recall the statistics (go figure) of surviving a heart attack in TVs because of these AEDs but the numbers are impressive. Not a craze, probably a poor choice of words by the OP, but a life saving device. It's the real deal.

Thanks!
 

I totally agree with you, my former neighbor from up north.....and my neighbor in down south.

I was recently asked to donate for an AED for our cul-de-sac in St. James. I was so happy to send that check. If it can save ONE life, it will be so worth it.

Thanks to those who volunteered & trained for this wonderful "craze"!!! I am very grateful!

I concur with the benefit of the AED's. Hope that I never need one but, then again, it is just not about me - it is about our community.

You think this is a craze???? Really?????

Please educate yourself first.

I am so thankful to my neighbors that are taking the classes and taking this so seriously.. Thank you and God Bless.

Our AED Program in The Villages is nationally known, recognized and looked at as a model program. We are on the leading edge of health response with this program and many others. Nothing is perfect but the neighborhood AED Program is a responsible response to saving a life when time is of the essence. There are over 110 AED groups in The Villages I believe. Thank heavens for Gail Lazenby who does the training. His eminent retirement will have a community impact. Our community raised $24,000 in about 8 months and is up and running with lots of volunteer responders. Bless all those who saw the value in a proactive manner rather than after a sad loss.

We got them in my neighborhood (Sanibel) and if it saves one life, it's worth every penny.:BigApplause:

AED's are a life saver! What a wonderful program for the Villages. People here stand a much better chance of survival than any other place I know of, except maybe being in a doctor's office or a hospital when you have a heart attack. That is not a "Wild and crazy idea!"

I think the figure given at our training was that you have a six times better chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest in a neighborhood in TV with an AED than anywhere without one.

let's start with a little clarity with definition:

craze (kreɪz)
n
1. a short-lived current fashion
2. a wild or exaggerated enthusiasm: a craze for chestnuts.
3. (Psychiatry) mental disturbance; insanity
vb
4. (Psychiatry) to make or become mad
5. (Ceramics) ceramics metallurgy to develop or cause to develop a fine network of cracks
6. (tr) Brit to break
7. (tr) to weaken

Conclusion? Poor choice of term/word/whatever.

We did our neighborhood 10 years ago. My wife is one of the neighborhood responders. We have a couple of neighbors who would not be here if it were not for our neighborhood decision (a no brainer actually!!).

We have 3 units on neighbors homes who volunteered their location.

The least insurance expenditure you will put out for such a life saving return.

Not sure what the intent of the OP was/is??

We've had our neighborhood AED's for about 5 years....so not really a new craze. There are two on our street...one is located on my house. Just recently all our responders have been recertified in CPR and AED use.

We do have a wonderful response here by paramedics, but every second counts when one has gone into cardiac arrest. It's comforting to know that friends and neighbors are willing to furnish funds and time for training to help me and me, them, should the need arise.

I am so appreciative of the people in my neighborhood (Sanibel south of Pinellas Place) who took the initiative to get the AED program going! It took many hours of organizing and there were so many people that offered to be "first responders" that they had too many!

As a former paramedic I highly endorse this program but the results are probably a bit overstated. According to the American Heart Association the national average for resuscitation following arrest averaged about 9% for the past two years. The "in hospital" survival following sudden arrest was 23%. Lazenby claims over 40% for the Villages. Every hospital has fulltime "code teams" trained physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists, responding with all the medications and resuscitative equipment available only in a hospital. Doubtful that volunteer residents with AEDs would be twice as successful.

I don't think TVs numbers include what goes on in a hospital if a person has a heart attack. I believe these numbers are based on response time when EMT is involved and when you have neighborhood response getting there sooner. I thought I heard the response time in our neighborhood is well under 2 minutes. I am not a medical person and possibly have no idea what I am talking about but believe this is correct.

As a Registered Nurse- I can tell you that some type of intervention is better than waiting for EMS. An AED will not save a life in Respiratory Arrest- however will assist in getting more people at the scene to assist quickly. Train yourself in correct ways to perform CPR along with the use of AED.
Of course people have better survival rates in hospital-our response time is seconds with highly qualified people who have access to multiple pieces of equipment to save lives every day.
I hope that TV AED program continues to grow and educate more people on quick responses can actually save a life. We live in a community with age as a factor (if the only factor) to have a cardiac event. You can be quite healthy and your own genetic profile will result in some type of cardiac event which increases the odds with age.
One life saved in The Villages is worth having one in each neighborhood.

Personally, I wouldn't blame old age or genetics. If there's a family history of heart disease, a person should be eating a heart-healthy diet (a diet that many people claim is too strict). Genes need to be triggered by a poor diet and, secondarily, lack of exercise, and many are not even close to eating a heart healthy diet. Just look at all those who obviously sport huge waistlines of 40 inches or more.

If you are one of those people or have people like that in your neighborhood, I'm not surprised at your enthusiasm for these devices. But I see it differently. I see it as a big failure, a lack of personal responsibility as far as taking one's health seriously.

So, would I chip in $100. for one of these devices? No! Those who would do themselves in by eating junk-food will eventually do themselves in anyway. You save them once and the next time it will be during the night when no one knows they are having a heart attack.

It seems a big contradiction that we call The Villages "America's Healthiest Hometown" and then we need AED devices in every neighborhood. I would rather see people taking their health more seriously and educating themselves about how to prevent heart disease and how to reverse heart disease.

May I ask PL, what happens if one eats right, exercises like Jim Kick but somehow, goes into defib due to an external force like a shock from an ungrounded electric drill or some arrhythmia? No fault of their own. Could happen to you! I've seen it.

During 30 yrs. of my career, I've used AEDs and performed CPR many times. It's all about the "Golden Hour" and a quick response. AEDs do save lives. I realize that 40% save rate is overblown and misinterpreted. My son, a Marion County fire medic, says that 40% represents a tactile pulse, not a save. BTW, Villages medics don't transport. They must call for transport to closest facility. But, again, AEDs are a good thing.

My neighborhood of 63 homes just completed a AED program. We have 20 first rsponders ready to go. Personally for me, as a first responder, I am excited I might have the opportunity to save the life of a neighbor or perhaps my wife. 99% of my neighbors participated in paying a share of the cost to get the program up and running. We had the necessary funds within two weeks.:a040::coolsmiley:

Sorry you feel that AED are only needed because of a failure in diet or lifestyle. Don't agree with you on this VPL....sudden cardiac arrest can be caused by congenital heart disease, electrical problems of the heart as well as CAD or heart attack. Children can experience sudden cardiac arrest because of a blow to the chest.

Not all of our neighbors contributed for the AED purchase, but if they ever need it used to restart their heart, it will be.

I totally agree with you. Having worked in the healthcare field for decades, I have seen it all. None of knows what tomorrow may bring....and although I swim a half mile daily and try to eat pretty healthy, I COULD be one of those who need that AED. If I don't ever need it, that would be wonderful. If ONE.......only ONE...neighbor needs it, I'll be so glad we have it in our "hood". If it is never used, that would be great, too! Better to be more safe than sorry.

I'm grateful for those in my neighborhood who went thru the time, effort and 'love' to see that we have an AED in our "hood".

The trained volunteer residents next door or 4 doors away from either of our villas' AED machines can get to the victim within 1 or 2 minutes, whereas the hospital personnel aren't going to get hands on them for much longer than that, especially if the paramedic squad is out on another call when this call comes in at dispatch.

The fire stations and paramedics are close, but if they are out on another call, the neighbor AED responders can make a difference between and death.

I cherish living amongst so many wise, caring and energetic neighbors. The grumpy, ho-hum few who did't want to contribute might be glad to open the door one night for the energetic, optimistic ones who got the training and stayed with the program.

The response time inside a hospital is almost immediate and they can treat arrhythmias other than fibrillation so there is no better place to have an arrest. Don't get me wrong. The Villages program is a great thing but Gail's statistics are suspect.

Since you feel the figures are suspect, consider this. What do you think the national stats would look like if every community, every neighborhood, had AEDs and teams organized, trained, and easily notified automatically by phone and text message through the 911 system? And these teams can be at the side of the victim within a couple of minutes to begin CCR and evaluate the patient through the AED to see if shock is advised. Since every minute without care reduces the chances of recovery, wouldn't a system like increase the recovery results beyond what we see commonly now nationwide? Because what I described is exactly what we have in my neighborhood, and, I suspect, in other neighborhoods around TV.

My comparison is with "in hospital" rates. I am sure our program exceeds national "out of hospital rates".

my heart attacks were due to a clotting disorder that did not show itself until the first heart attack and not diagnosed until well after the second. In both events my arteries were clear leaving the doctors scratching their heads in wondering why I had the MI's. A defibrillator saved my life one of those times, PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT , MULES BEHIND!

Shock from an ungrounded electric drill? Sounds like that would be a rare occurrence. Wouldn't you have to be standing in your bare feet or in a puddle? I have used ungrounded electric drills many many times.

Mayo Clinic Diseases and Conditions - Heart Arrhythmia: The Mayo Clinic states that you may reduce your arrhythmia risk by practicing a heart-healthy lifestyle.

I don't agree with your cold-hearted approach. Not at all. I hope you never need the assistance of neighbors using an AED device. But if you do, I have no doubt your attitude will completely change. In the meantime, please try to be less judgmental.

:jester:Note they said MAY REDUCE not ELIMINATE. How many times have we heard of the ultra fit athlete dropping dead from a heart attack. It's not as simple as exercise and a healthy diet. If you are in a neighborhood that has an AED and are in the unfortunate situation of needing it to save your life you can thank the neighbors that had enough sense to contribute to this life saving device. And yes, if it is in you neighborhood and you haven't contributed they will still come to you aid. Personally I would feel like the biggest schmuck on earth to be in that position. But the good news is I would probably be alive to suffer those feelings.

The CDC states that there are about 1 million adults in the U.S. living with a congenital heart defect and there are relatively few deaths resulting from this. 41,494 deaths were reported in 7 years in the U.S. and a congenital heart defect might not have been the main cause.

As I've already stated, electrical problems can be helped by living a healthy lifestyle, according to the Mayo Clinic. If everyone did, this would be a very rare problem. A blow to the chest is also very rare. Most heart attacks are the result of coronary artery disease and a healthy lifestyle would make it an extremely rare event.

AEDs provide a false sense of security, in my opinion. You can't have AEDs with you wherever you go, whereas good health follows you everywhere.

You forgot to say what you are currently doing to correct your "clotting disorder."

Your reply was personally directed at me, rather than addressing the topic.

Having good health is really not a guarantee one will live longer than anyone else. Life is a crapshoot, we live surrounded by dangers. While you may feel food and more importantly, specific foods are the primary and maybe only way??? to good health, many are of the opinion that it isn't the only way.

AED's are for a specific use....and may help....or they may not. Personally I can't imagine people feeling that having an AED gives them license to throw caution to the wind....apparently, you seem to think they might.

With all due respect... and I do mean that. Your replies have been directed at other people as well.

Please try to understand, we all come from different places. Different diets. We were all raised differently with different educations in heath and fitness.

I work out and have most of my adult life. I eat well, but not as well a you. I don't know that I could eat like you.

My heart hurts when I read your comments. I care deeply for other people. I do a lot of things for my health that others don't do... I would still do everything I could to save their life as I would hope they would for me.

I guess that's all I have to say. You may have a healthy heart.... It appears to be very hard. I hope you can find the diet that will soften it.

Yes, of course, whatever you do for yourself is all about reducing risk. There is never a 100% guarantee. They use the words "MAY REDUCE" because they can't follow everyone around to make sure they are practicing the best possible lifestyle. Most people don't even come close but their suggestion is still very worthwhile and something to aspire to.

Statistically, I would say it's very rare. And why is that? It's because athletes are always pushing themselves to test their limit. They often, unknowingly, create stress hormones like cortisol which can be very damaging. If they already have some underlying issue or predisposition, that will bring it out. It goes to prove that you can put yourself at great risk when you're doing something you're not supposed to do, exercising to the extreme.

It's strange how no one is ever expected to feel like a "schmuck" for living an unhealthy lifestyle whereby they need an AED, stint, and/or bypass surgery.

Longevity is not what this thread is about.

So the object is to do our best to minimize the dangers.

What have you got as an alternative? I'll keep an open mind.

Well, actually, they have already thrown caution to the wind long before AEDs came along. The AEDs, in my opinion, will just add one more reason to have a false sense of security. Many will think they have done everything they can do and will go no further.

I just read your third paragraph where you say you wouldn't chip in. That's your right, but I don't understand what you say next. You say that because they eat an unhealthy diet, that even if we save them once, they will just have another heart attack during the night when no one can save them. It sounds to me like one of the previously unknown side effects of being a vegetarian may be the loss of humanity and compassion. Perhaps, if we save them once, even if they don't change their diet, we could give them another 5 years with their spouses, children, grandchildren and friends. Perhaps, if we save them once, they will be frightened into a more healthy life style. I think you are trying to make a statement about self responsibility, but that was a swing and a miss. I'd rather have a heart that has seen an occasional cheeseburger than one that has no compassion.