The increasing availability of AEDs has been stressed out. Ev White was coming off the ice after a senior’s hockey game when everything went black.
Someone called 911 while others raced around the Simmons Arena in search for someone who knew how to provide some help to White until the paramedics arrived. Gordie Foster was in a nearby dressing room and rushed to White’s side. Foster had some classroom training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an AED, but this was the first time he’d used one on a person in distress.
Minutes matter
AEDs can deliver an electric shock to the heart that restores it back into action. The earlier it can be done, the higher the chances of survival.
He followed the automatic audio prompts from the device and delivered the shocks that restored the rhythm of White’s heart. After some time, the paramedics took over, rushing White to the hospital and putting him back on the road to recovery.
Minutes matter when the heart ceases to beat. A defibrillator is necessary to deliver a shock.
Public-access AEDs
A new province-wide registry of mobile defibrillators is up and running. This should cut down precious time it takes to get an AED to someone in distress.
The AEDs are in government buildings, health facilities, schools, churches, community buildings, private business and private residences.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a CPR and AED course and for more information, check out these sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defibrillation
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/cpr-new-defibrilators#1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation