Have you had to use a AED ?

[mycrofft]

Have you had to use an AED ?

Have you ever seen or had to use an AED stationed at an airport, restaurant, etc. ?
Was it readily available, were there barriers to getting it in a timely fashion, did it work? Outcome?

 

[Veneficus]

Never.

But we did have a guy collapse in ACLS class once. There was an AED in the building, but since we were sitting on top of 6 manual defibs in a room full of ACLS instructors and healthcare providers it seemed sort of pointless to go and get the AED.

Just vagaled himself out though. Nothing more really exciting to report.

 

[mycrofft]

I've posted thi in nan unassociated forum of instructors and provides, and none have commented about having to, either.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Never personally, but I ran a call to the casino once for a "CPR in progress" and when we showed up, the guy was conscious. They had a defibrillator on him and got him shocked within about 30 seconds of him going down.

 

[Anonymous]

A few weeks ago at the gym. Witnessed. AED hooked up in timely fashion. Three shocks delivered and patient was back in a normal rhythm when medics arrived.

 

[fast65]

Nope, can't say I have. The closest I've come is switching a patient over to my monitor from PD's AED.

 

[rescue1]

Nope, can't say I have. The closest I've come is switching a patient over to my monitor from PD's AED.

Same here. I've never (knock on wood) been at a cardiac arrest I wasn't responding to as an EMT.

 

[Shishkabob]

Not beyond taking off the pads when I put my monitor on.


Or BCLS re-certification.

 

[DrParasite]

not me personally. but i have been on calls to the gym where they were used, and the staff did save the guy from a witnessed cardiac arrest.

the #1 issue is knowing where the AED is, the #2 is having someone get it when they realize it is needed, and the #3 thing is the distance from the man down to the location and back, and seeing what is happening. hopefully guy #3 can run fast.

 

[Darwin]

I have, the day after Christmas last year. I work at a beef processing plant and got a call to the production floor for a man down. Two shocks delivered, EMS arrived and put the monitor on him and he was still in vfib. He survived and is currently in cardiac rehab.

 

[BSE]

Once; guy down in a mall. Two shocks before EMS arrived...nothing. CPR was still in progress when they loaded.

The AED came pretty quick and was in good working order. No problems.

 

[Owenscott]

sure did

As a dep sheriff. The sheriff thought we could save some lives if the cop cars had a defib. So he bought two of them. One carried in a cop car in the north half of the county and one in the south half.
One day i was behind the guy who had it and he got the call. So both responded. He hooked it up. Nurse sister in law doing cpr upon are arrival. Of course she ran into the other room as soon as we arrived. Shock indicated ... button was pushed and that dude ??convulsed is the word i guess?? Seeemed almost jump off the floor. Two shocks. Ems arrived. Dont think he made it tho.

 

[flhtci01]

Twice

I have had the opportunity to use an AED twice. The first time was when it gave a stack of three shocks. It was about 2004 at a ski area. The second was 2009. Again at a ski area. Both people were 80+ and one had an aortic valve replacement within the previous 6 months. Neither survived.

There was another event where co-workers used the AED delivered one shock and had a save.