onboard first aid cpr eqipment

[Mark Laurnen]

Good grief. In circumstances of sudden cardiac arrest, an AED is likely THE ONLY effective lifesaving therapy PERIOD Are they costly (?) ... that’s relative, probably about the cost of a tank of fuel. If things go bad quickly you had better have the best means to treat them quickly, time to tertiary treatment is not important if you don’t survive the initial insult. Having a history of significant cardiac disease definitely ups the ante. That said, as an anesthesiologist I’ve seen people die ... and stay dead, despite an AED and every other currently recommended resuscitation intervention. Get one and sleep better, even if you don’t live longer.

 

[rsn48]

I plan on purchasing an AED but definitely used. Took me almost two years to find a used Efoy unit, so I'm used to waiting, then pouncing when an item comes up.

Here's a refurbished one for roughly $600 American:

https://acmerevival.com/product/phi...o2B-T0Cw2Gbby7gK7-SlS3MTEyTBn6bRoCREIQAvD_BwE

 

[Benthic2]

Isn't an AED, just a temporary fix until medical care is available ? If someone has a heart attack and you are 4+ hours away from help, the AED will revive them, but you are still a long way from help. How long will an AED sustain someone ?

 

[Hippocampus]

B makes a key point.
So your S.O. has a LAD infarct. Goes into V fib. You shock them but cardiac output is insufficient. CHF with anoxic encephalopathy and anuric renal failure. Toast.
Or they flip into AF with embolic events so with no tPA or like “clot busters” devastated.
Or they catch a limb in machinery with a resultant compartment syndrome. Or they go septic from a slight wound they picked up from a dock splinter or cut while diving. Or sit under a manchineel tree and are wiped with a huge rash. Or entangle with jelly fish. Or make up you’re own “what if”.
We carry normal saline, a small surgie kit, one series of doses from each class of antibiotics , sturgeon, anticholinergics and compazine suppositories. Our Med kit fills a locker. We have treated ourselves and fellow cruisers in distress. But we are trained.
Think it’s more important to assess what events are more likely. What events you are more likely to make a meaningful difference by your actions. Of course this should take into account your cruising activities. But realize all too often minutes count. Have treated too many anoxic encephalopathies from near drownings that occurred in sight of land to think otherwise.
As stated before get TRAINED. Then it’s great if you buy paddles but more importantly stock in accordance to your level of training.

 

[Mark Laurnen]

Prompt utilization of an AED will hopefully gain ROSC - Return Of Spontaneous Circulation. Not uncommonly the initial arrest was a result of a acute dysrhythmia, this is when an AED is most effective. The AED will shock and “reset” the heart rhythm into a life sustaining pattern. The AED does not continuously shock like a pacer. The malignant dysrhythmia can recur, but often it does not. If the initial event was precipitated by blockage of blood supply to a large portion of heart muscle, the AED will likely be of little value.

 

[Hippocampus]

As said AED is a very worthwhile piece of kit. But continue to appeal that the boating public be educated. In fact as part of the high school curriculum would like the general public educated in basic cpr and common medical emergencies.

 

[OldDan1943]

After attaching the pads, most AEDs will determine if a shock is necessary and how much to shock. Just leave it hooked up and the AED will shock as necessary. The AED will even talk you through the process.

 

[GoldenDawn]

There is no substitute for good First Aid courses. Without the ability to assess someone's problem, it is hard to know what tools to use.

I ask guests to fill out a form before coming on board. This has contact info, insurance info and medical info on it. It is put into a sealed envelope with the guests name written on the outside as well as any pre-existing conditions that I should be aware off (seafood allergies, pacemaker?, bee sting allergy, etc). The sealed envelope is returned to the guest on their departure.

I started this procedure after one of my guests came aboard and had a very complicated "valise" of medications. If this person lost consciousness I would have had trouble knowing where to start - even with the help of medical professional on the radio.