Neighbor passed away last week, slumped over the kitchen sink.

[Kaido]

I have an AED,a phillips heart start. It's a voice prompted system and a m9 oxygen cylinder kit. With the first aid kit.

Now we both took the Red Cross aed/cpr/first aid certification course. It costs 90 dollars and the certification is good for 2 years.

Wow, I didn't even know you could buy those for home use. Over a thousand dollars tho, yikes! I'd keep them at home & in both cars if they weren't so pricey:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-HeartS.../dp/B00064CED6

 

[John Connor]

You have one fucked up 9-11 system, Lickens.

 

[TeeJay1952]

I have a fireman friend (no, really, someone like me)who said that CPR is a waste of time 99% of the time.
Incorrect application, too much time and not thumping hard enough was his report.

 

[DrPizza]

Wow, I didn't even know you could buy those for home use. Over a thousand dollars tho, yikes! I'd keep them at home & in both cars if they weren't so pricey:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-HeartS.../dp/B00064CED6

If you think about it, since heart disease is the leading cause of death, it makes more sense to invest in that once, rather than spending many multiples of that on home security monitoring. Especially if you're 50 or older.

 

[Strk]

I have a fireman friend (no, really, someone like me)who said that CPR is a waste of time 99% of the time.
Incorrect application, too much time and not thumping hard enough was his report.

I wouldn't say it's a waste, but the second part is kind of true. You really do have to put a lot of pressure on the person. It's 2" on an adult and adolescent and 1 1/2" on a small child (and the definition for that is a child before puberty). CPR is a lot more forceful than people realize. To say it is waste though is a bit unfair.

And if her husband was slumped over, all you could do was CPR. Defibrillators require a heartbeat.

 

[Thump553]

Unless you live in Detroit or there was an earthquake or volcanic eruption going on I really question those 911 answer and response times. I strongly suspect-given the stressful situation and a somewhat elderly spouse that had just awoken every second seemed like an eternity to her.

I've had to call 911 a couple of times from various locations and I don't think it has taken me more than five seconds to talk to a human dispatcher.

 

[mikeford]

Some kind of home "life vest" with monitoring and defib will be common soon, nothing technical in the way, just legalese and liability issues. If it saved a 1000 lives and one person messes up and dies from user error they would still get sued to the max.

Maybe first will be cheaper monitoring and alarm systems that detect issues before attacks.

 

[futurefields]

78 isn't a terrible age especially if he worked all the way up to the end, sounds like a good active life

i feel worse for people that just rot away for years doing nothing

 

[Harrod]

I have a fireman friend (no, really, someone like me)who said that CPR is a waste of time 99% of the time.
Incorrect application, too much time and not thumping hard enough was his report.

I've got a friend that is a fireman also, he said that they will do it just for appearances, and that he has never seen anyone come back. He basically said that by the time they get there it is too late to start, if they have been laying there not breathing for several minutes.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Its helps people stay alive while the ambulance comes.
His death reminded me how important it is to be prepared.

What does a trauma kit have that would help a person who isn't breathing and has no noticeable heartbeat?

 

[MrPickins]

99% of the time something negative and derogatory off the bat.

Amazed you've been around this long.

IMO, it was warranted after the comment about the black man...

 

[rh71]

All elderly need a lifealert necklace of some sort.

My cousin's dad passed suddenly when he was alone in the house.

 

[Mixolydian]

All elderly need a lifealert necklace of some sort.

My cousin's dad passed suddenly when he was alone in the house.

"Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"®

 

[TheVrolok]

I have an AED,a phillips heart start. It's a voice prompted system and a m9 oxygen cylinder kit. With the first aid kit.

Now we both took the Red Cross aed/cpr/first aid certification course. It costs 90 dollars and the certification is good for 2 years.

AED has been on my list for quite some time to have on hand. Would probably keep it in my car. Price tag is fairly rough, though. Might be able to get one paid for by work at this point, we'll see.

 

[Strk]

I've got a friend that is a fireman also, he said that they will do it just for appearances, and that he has never seen anyone come back. He basically said that by the time they get there it is too late to start, if they have been laying there not breathing for several minutes.

Not breathing for several minutes is quite a bit different than just collapsing though. Brain death occurs pretty quickly and CPR really is very necessary, especially the compressions. Your blood holds quite a bit more oxygen than people realize, which is why breaths aren't as important. In this case, the guy was pretty much gone, unless he literally stopped breathing seconds before his wife found him. After several minutes or so of no heartbeat, the person would be a vegetable even if they got his heart going again.

However, if a person collapses in front of you and his or her heart just stopped, then it can absolutely save them. But you said it though, by the time they get there it is too late. The person calling 911 should have already started CPR. One of the basics anyone being certified is taught is start CPR, then call 911. And if there's more than one person, get someone else to call 911 and start CPR ASAP.

 

[MtnMan]

And yet our gubernment tells us we don't need a gun to defend ourselves in our homes because we can just call 911.

 

[MtnMan]

I have a fireman friend (no, really, someone like me)who said that CPR is a waste of time 99% of the time.
Incorrect application, too much time and not thumping hard enough was his report.

I was a volunteer firefighter for over 30 years, and I have performed CPR on people that lived for years after their heart attack.

 

[heymrdj]

OMG that would be nasty

sssssssssssssssssss

 

[The Merg]

Not breathing for several minutes is quite a bit different than just collapsing though. Brain death occurs pretty quickly and CPR really is very necessary, especially the compressions. Your blood holds quite a bit more oxygen than people realize, which is why breaths aren't as important. In this case, the guy was pretty much gone, unless he literally stopped breathing seconds before his wife found him. After several minutes or so of no heartbeat, the person would be a vegetable even if they got his heart going again.

However, if a person collapses in front of you and his or her heart just stopped, then it can absolutely save them. But you said it though, by the time they get there it is too late. The person calling 911 should have already started CPR. One of the basics anyone being certified is taught is start CPR, then call 911. And if there's more than one person, get someone else to call 911 and start CPR ASAP.

Yup. Generally, CPR is not got to bring someone back, but the compressions will keep oxygenated blood pumping through the body. The basic idea is to keep doing this until they can be hooked up to an AED.

And CPR can be very tiring. After just a few minutes, you can be worn out. And if you are not breaking ribs, you are not doing it right.

- Merg

 

[shortylickens]

Unless you live in Detroit or there was an earthquake or volcanic eruption going on I really question those 911 answer and response times. I strongly suspect-given the stressful situation and a somewhat elderly spouse that had just awoken every second seemed like an eternity to her.

I've had to call 911 a couple of times from various locations and I don't think it has taken me more than five seconds to talk to a human dispatcher.

Thats my theory.

In fact now that I think about it she's the kind of lady who exaggerates even when she isnt stressed. So it makes sense now.

 

[Hugo Drax]

I've got a friend that is a fireman also, he said that they will do it just for appearances, and that he has never seen anyone come back. He basically said that by the time they get there it is too late to start, if they have been laying there not breathing for several minutes.

of course it wont work if they arrive after the person has not had oxygen in the brain/heart 10 minutes later.

But the correct application of CPR has saved tones of lives that otherwise would have perished.

 

[Hugo Drax]

What does a trauma kit have that would help a person who isn't breathing and has no noticeable heartbeat?

ie: Sodium Bicarbonate,epinephrine,vasopressin,0.9 saline.

(no heartbeat meaning PEA or Asystole)

 

[MtnMan]

And CPR can be very tiring. After just a few minutes, you can be worn out. And if you are not breaking ribs, you are not doing it right.

I still remember the full arrest when I was first on the scene. Checked for breathing and pulse, none. Told my partner it was a full arrest and get the bag/mask setup and I started compressions.

The class I had taken was for first responders, taught by first responders, and they told us you will feel the ribs break, but it still came as a surprise on the first compression. This was not the first time I had done CPR, but up till then I had taken over to relieve someone that had started and already broken the ribs.

 

[CottonRabbit]

ie: Sodium Bicarbonate,epinephrine,vasopressin,0.9 saline.

(no heartbeat meaning PEA or Asystole)

What is the average joe going to do with all that? It's silly to think that someone untrained or minimally trained is even going to be able to start in IV in such a situation, much less follow ACLS. It's a waste to buy any of that for your home and think it would come in handy in an emergency situation.

 

[T9D]

I thought his conversation was about saving someone yourself before 911 get's there. There is a big difference between someone passing out and the heart stopping in front of you (or someone drowning or whatever) and doing CPR instantly. Seems that would be very advisable and useful. Telling people it's useless because you base it on what your friends in the field say after arriving 15 minutes later doesn't seem a fair comparison. And misleading. Plus if there is any chance at all its worth trying either way.