From JEMS... http://www.jems.com/article/patient-care/phoenix-airport-aed-program-en…
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport may be one of the best public places in the country to survive a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Indeed, thanks to an innovative public AED program initiated 10 years ago at the airport, the rate of people surviving witnessed cardiac arrests and being released from a hospital neurologically intact is a stunning 75%.
“If you want to have your heart stop beating, have it [occur] at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport,” says Debbie Thomas, RN, a paramedic training coordinator for the Phoenix Fire Department.
[snip]
- Log in to post comments
Comments
Ryan's story
On August 31, 1997 my son, Ryan, was playing basketball outside at the church with the normal group of 15 other boys. This was the usual weekend activity for him and his friends that were all around 16-18 years of age. If they weren't playing basketball it was hockey or another sport. Typical active and sports-oriented boys.
During this game his best friend ( being boys) hit my son in the chest. At that moment Ryan fell to the ground, gasping for air. The boys were not certain as to what was happening but they knew it was serious when Ryan did not start to breathe. They called 911 and the line was busy!!!! They ran for help and called again. At this point I also received a call to come to assist. The medics took 10 minutes to arrive and it took me the same. It was just too late and the circumstances surrounding this event were not in my son's favor.
He was pronounced dead. The cardiologist on call just happened to be working in the ER and it was my own personal cardiologist. They worked for 1 hour to try to restart his heart but to no avail.
Too many young lives are still being lost due to SCA. I can only hope that aggresive assimilation of information to do CPR and using AED machines will end these tragedies.