Pub. 2 Issue 3

16 www.glancda.org The most common cause of SCA is an arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation (v-fib). In v-fib, the ventricles (the heart's lower chambers) don't beat normally. Instead, they quiver very rapidly and irregularly. Another arrhythmia that can lead to SCA is ventricular tachycardia. This is a fast, regular beating of the ventricles that may last for a few seconds or much longer. In people who have either of these arrhythmias, an electric shock from an AED may restore the heart's normal rhythm (if done within minutes of the onset of SCA). PROS: The American Heart Association (AHA) states that over 300,000 people in the USA die from cardiac arrest every year. AHA claims that every minute following the cardiac arrest, survival rate is reduced by 10%. If the local county/city paramedics are likely to take more than 10 minutes, intervention by the use of an AED and CPR before their arrival can significantly increase the chance of survival. The Good Samaritan law in each of the States and the Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA) provide some protection to bystanders who are not being compensated as a rescue professional and who provide help in good faith by using an AED. CONS: AED use requires training. Certified instructors are needed to conduct training on AED maintainence and use. Additionally, training takes about two hours and a refresher course is needed every two years. With high turnover, keeping a tab on training can be a nuisance. Usage by untrained staff is risky business as we will explain below. A razor has to be used to shave hairy chests to install the AED electrodes properly. Victims with pacemakers require the electrode be placed away from the pacemaker lump. AEDs cannot be used when the victim and user are in a puddle of water as the AED shock to the person being treated can be transmitted to the user. Moisture on the victim’s chest has to be wiped off as the electrodes do not stick on wet surfaces. Women with large breasts require that the breast be lifted so as to place the pads below the breast. Often, clothing may need to be cut open (removed)  First-Aid — continued from page 15