Lists of seven ways to improve yourself are popular on the web. Here
is a seven-item list that could save lives. But first a little
background.
A few days ago in Russia, one of the most promising young hockey
players in the world, Alexei Cherepanov, died when his heart stopped
working during a game in the Russian elite Continental Hockey League.
Apparently there was one non-functioning defibrillator in the building.
How may people know what a defibrillator is and how to us one? A week
ago I didn’t. Now I do. Here is my story and I hope it helps someone
some day.
I am 63 years old and play old timers’ hockey. I was in a rush as I arrived late at our local rink a few nights ago. I wasn’t really late for the game, but I was the last guy in the dressing room, just 15 minutes before game time. It was 7.45 in the evening.
I am 63 years old and play old timers’ hockey. I was in a rush as I arrived late at our local rink a few nights ago. I wasn’t really late for the game, but I was the last guy in the dressing room, just 15 minutes before game time. It was 7.45 in the evening.
“You have been selected, Steve, because you are the last guy here.” I
was told. “You have to come to the rink again tomorrow night at 7.30″
“What for?” I asked.
“They are giving a course on the use of a defibrillator and every team has to send someone” I was told.
“OK” I said and got my gear on as quickly as possible. I might learn something new, I thought.
The next evening I arrived on time for the presentation on how to use
a defibrillator. I had visions of some complicated machine with lots
of wires. In fact it is very compact. It looks like a little yellow
portable radio. Officially it is called an AED, for automated external defibrillator.
Our instructor was an off-duty fireman who was moonlighting for the company that distributes the AED device.
Here, in point form, is what I learned:
1. Anyone can suffer a sudden heart attack, regardless of age. A healthy 25 year old Detroit Red Wings hockey player named Jiri Fischer
had a sudden cardiac arrest in a game. He was saved by an AED. Most
professional sports teams in North America have AEDs on the bench.
2. At the first sign of any possible heart related problem, call 911 or emergency immediately. Time is of the essence.
3. If the victim has strong chest pains, or pains in the shoulder or jaw, this is a good sign. He or she may be having a heart attack, but the heart is still functioning. Just wait for the ambulance to show up.
4. If the person is quiet you have to move fast. If
the heart has stopped, every minute equals a 10% deterioration in the
functioning of the heart. It may not be possible to recover this loss of
heart function. Our fireman instructor said that he always relaxes when
he arrives on the scene and hears the victim groaning in pain. When the
victim is quiet he worries.
5. If the victim just lies there lifelessly, and if no
breathing is detected, it is essential to use the defibrillator as soon
as possible. CPR
will not help if the heart has stopped. The fireman said that before he
had an AED, he would be called to assist heart attack victims and his
efforts all too often turned out to be in vain. Now with the AED, he
saves well over 70% of these victims, and an even higher percentage if
he gets to them early enough. I understood that, after calling
emergency, if there is no sign of heart activity in the victim, it is
vital to use the AED as soon as possible.
6. The AED is easy to use. Pads are attached to the
victim’s chest, right onto his skin. There are clear and easy to
understand drawings of where to put the pads. The AED comes with a voice
recording, giving instructions, telling you what to do. Once the pads
are connected, the AED starts to measure the heart of the victim,
providing a valuable diagnostic record of the victim’s problem and
progress. Depending on the diagnosis, the recording may instruct you to
press the appropriate button which will deliver an electric shock to the
victim. Everyone is required to stand clear of the victim before the
shock is delivered. The electric shock will usually revive the victim’s
heart. Occasionally an additional shock by the defibrillator is needed.
In any case the AED’s voice recording provides all the necessary
instructions.
7. Once the heart is beating and the victim starts breathing,
CPR techniques should be applied, until the emergency response people
arrive. When doing CPR, it is not necessary to do mouth to
mouth, especially if you do not have a special mask to protect you from
blood or other liquids from the victim’s mouth. Strong repetitive
pressure or pumping on the chest is good enough. And, the fireman added,
do not worry about the sound of cracking ribs. Even a broken rib is a
minor problem compared to a heart that stops functioning.
I now know where the two AEDs at our local hockey rink are located.
Do you know where they are in your building? I think our team will now
make sure we have a cell phone at the bench for our games, so that we
can call the ambulance immediately. We will be better prepared for an
eventuality that may not happen. But if it does, the victim will stand a
better chance of full recovery.
AEDs used to be very clumsy and expensive, but they now cost around
$1,500 each and the price is coming down. Our fireman felt that one day
they will be as common as fire extinguishers in the home.
I got home and checked out AED and CPR on the internet and youtube
and found a great deal of useful information. Everyone should find out
about these devices, and about what to do in the case of a heart attack.
It could save a life.
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