Editorial
Elevaed Enters Building Code Provision to Standardize AEDs in Elevator Lobbies
People who live or work in high rise buildings are poorly protected (8% survival) against sudden cardiac arrest because they are more difficult to access for EMS crews, who arrive too late for early defibrillation. At the same time, these buildings offer compact advantages found nowhere else, for survival 5-10 times higher.
A single line of code mandating one AED in the lobby can protect all occupants in high-rises, and be adoptable worldwide.
Elevaed has now sponsored a proposed code addition, that would specify a basic AED for elevator lobbies in buildings over 75 ft tall. If approved, this standardized PAD location will anchor AED deployment in cities, protect adjacent buildings, and begin placing AEDs on the Internet, as dependable cellular components of the Next Generation 9-1-1 service.
[continue reading...]Recent Posts
- Dispatch lag slows Los Angeles FD call response
- Substantiation Statement for Building Coding Application
- Elevaed Enters Building Code Provision to Standardize AEDs in Elevator Lobbies
- People who live in poorer areas at more risk for SCA
- Stroke: Time is brain in delivering EMS care
- The Ambulance Response Time Debate
- A Life-Saving Drug Out of Reach
- NIH Launches Trials to Evaluate CPR and Drugs
- Short Technical Bio for Dwight Jones
- Thousands Dying Needlessly in Apartment and Office Towers
Articles
Here is the substantiation being provided to the code examining committees.
The Ambulance Response Time Debate
“Matt Zavadsky dared to ask a provocative question in his presentation at the American Ambulance Association conference this past November, “Do Ambulance Response Times Really Matter?”
A Life-Saving Drug Out of Reach
Naloxone is a benign drug that CPR volunteers could use to rescue overdose victims, who now outnumber auto fatalities.
Thousands Dying Needlessly in Apartment and Office Towers
Safety agencies need to address the fact that thousands of people are dying in high rise and office buildings each year in the US, because EMS simply can’t get to them in time. Arrest victims and rescuers have no access to the only device that can save them – an AED.
No-Hope Highrise to HeartSmart Community with Tandem AED/EMS
The Tandem AED/EMS strategy has an in-house AED delivering its lifesaving treatment well within four minutes. EMS then arrives some minutes later to consolidate the rescue.
A Silent killer stalking high-rises
Living or working in a high-rise just about eliminates your chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest.
The Heart Rescue Project
The vision is for every American who suffers sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) to receive lifesaving, state-of-the-art care at the scene, en route and in the hospital.
Response Times
Dispatch lag slows Los Angeles FD call response Dispatchers obviously need more autonomy, and less data entry, before sending. Primitive telephony is the likely cause.
Stroke: Time is brain in delivering EMS care EMS1 is the leading website and news service for EMS people, and this ‘blog’ is a sterling example of its quality information.
New Data Released from CARES Program on SCA’s If a pulse is not restored before EMS transport, additional efforts at the receiving hospital almost invariably fail.
“We’re in a war with the Fire Dept!” From 50% 50 years ago, actual fire calls are now just 1% of fire department responses, who are now just “there to stop the clock”.
Deployment
The AHA on AEDs – Where, How Many? The presence and location of AEDs in large office complexes or high-rise buildings can greatly impact survival rates.
The New AED Registry – Closer to the Heart? Efforts to improve survival should focus on the prompt delivery of medical interventions. CPR and AEDs both need good neighbors.
An AED in Every Bank? Elevaed’s submission to use ATM areas to host AEDs was “declined” at both levels. The banks, which trumpet their involvement in our communities, have no interest.
AEDs in Towers – Every 5th Floor? In high-rises, every fifth floor is a static ploy, rather than a dynamic one like elevators, but may have its place nonetheless.
CPR
Cheap health insurance vs our deadliest threat Given our overweight and aging boomer generation, expect heart safety to emerge as a welcome and affordable concept.
The Cardiac Science SCA Summary The only known treatment for sudden cardiac arrest is a shock from a defibrillator, administered as quickly as possible.
Questions & Answers about AEDs and PADs Common questions about AEDs and Public Access Defibrillation (PADs), with answers from the American Heart Association
Red Cross offering “Citizen CPR” training The American Red Cross now offers Citizen CPR training, a brief course in providing hands-only CPR to victims of cardiac arrest.
Studies
People who live in poorer areas at more risk for SCA If there is an elevator, put a PAD in the lobby and watch poor people save themselves. Safety is cheaper than a TBI for all concerned.
NIH Launches Trials to Evaluate CPR and Drugs The continuing study of adjunct treatments for SCA; see also CPAP and the recent doubts about epinephrine
Study: One-fifth of AED failures traced to battery, power problems Evidently more AEDs should be in powered and networked enclosures – not bare.
AED Use: Survival before EMS Study Application of an AED in communities is associated with nearly a doubling of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
