Medical Emergencies can happen anywhere and when you least expect them. The following information outlines the most up to date equipment and drugs to use, how and when to administer.
The following is a description of the 7 MUST HAVE medications in a medical emergency. (These items are contained in CLAM) Oxygen is the 8th item which should be used in conjunction with these emergency drugs, and is contained in resQkit, together with trauma paks and defibrillator.
Take this short Quiz, you should already know most of these: (The answers are at the bottom)
1) More Americans die each year from Sudden Cardiac Arrest than from ;
A. Automobile Accidents, Home Fires and Plane Crashes.
B. Breast & Prostate Cancer
C. AIDs
D. All of the above - Combined
2) About how many people in this country do you suspect die each day from SCA?
A. 50-100
B. 100-500
C. 500-1000
D. More than 1000
3) What is the current Compression-to-Breath ratio for a Lay Responder?
A. 5 Compressions & 1 Breath
B. 15 and 2
C. 30 & 2
D. None of the above
4) The national survival rate of those suffering from SCA is less than 5% without early access to an AED. Can you guess what the national survival rate is, when AEDs are present and someone is trained in CPR to use one?
A. Absolute Survival Rate
B. 10x than without - 50%
C. About 90%
D. Survival Rate Doubles - 10%
5) People can usually get a persons heart going again by using good CPR techniques.
A. True
B. False
6) I could be sued should I attempt CPR or to use an AED and the person does not live.
A. It has happened.
B. Not a chance.
C. Only occasionally.
7) An AED might accidentally shock someone NOT having a heart attack.
A. It has happened.
B. Not a chance.
C. Only occasionally.
8) I might injure a person if I use an AED on them, particularly, leaving them with severe burns.
True
False
9) If I personally owned an AED, would I be required to use it on a stranger?
Yes, having an AED charges the owner with a duty to act.
No, you are not required to help anyone.
10) AEDs require constant maintenance, and the parts are expensive to replace.
A. True
B. False
Quiz Answers;
1) D. All of the Above - COMBINED!
2) D. More than 1000 each day. To put this figure into perspective, this is the equivalent of 3 fully-loaded commercial jets crashing into the ground every single day.
3) C. The current national standard is 30 Compressions with 2 Breaths.
4) C. The national survival rate is greater than 90% with early access to an AED.
5) B. False. CPR does not reset a persons heart rhythm. Only an AED does that. CPR buys time by pushing oxygenated blood through the brain, slowing down brain damage. An AED must be used to save that persons life.
6) B. Not a chance. Although you can attempt to sue anyone for just about anything these days, the Good Samaritan Law and the Cardiac Survival Act protects responders fully from frivolous law suites. In fact, recent laws have been created that often require a person to act in some capacity to help.
7) B. Not a chance. Todays AEDs sense not only if the heart is in SCA, but also the specific form of arrhythmia. If the unit detects a normal heart rhythm, it will not allow a shock. But more to the point, an AED should not be placed on a conscious person - even one complaining of chest pain.
8) B. False. It really doesn't get much worse than when you're dead! Remember, the AED won't administer a shock if it's not SCA. The mark an AED leaves is mostly from the adhesive on the pads.
9) B. As a Lay Person, you are not required to use your AED on a stranger, or even to perform CPR for that matter, but if the roles were reversed, wouldn't you hope that a complete stranger might help you or a loved one? Professional Rescuers ARE required to act in the line of their work.
10) B. False. Todays AEDs are pretty much maintenance free. All that is required is occasionally check that the status indicator is flashing Green. If not, either your battery is missing or dead, in which case you need a new one (about every 3 1/2 years) and the replacement cost is very low.
