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As a counter story I once attended a talk given by an A&E consultant who was a bit dismissive of the trend for putting in defibrillators everywhere, such as at

As a counter story I once attended a talk given by an A&E consultant who was a bit dismissive of the trend for putting in defibrillators everywhere, such as at sports stadiums. He said that by the time someone had rushed to wherever the device was kept, retrieved and used it, it was likely that, at best, you'd be looking at the casualty surviving in a persistent vegetative state. Incidentally, someone asked about having oxygen supply and mask available for people who've collapsed. By all means, he said. That will make everyone feel better.The helpers because they are doing something, the victim because something is being done for them but other than that, it's useless.

Cthulhu_ 8y ago
I don't get it. Aren't A&E people in ambulances reaching for the defibrillator themselves? And don't the automatic defibrillators allow for a much faster response time in the case of fibrillation, lowering the chance at brain damage and the like? I mean I don't know how often people end up needing one of those in real life and I'm pretty sure it's some weird conspiracy by the manufacturer(s) of that device, but still.
JshWright 8y ago
The opinion of that A&E "consultant" is unsupported by the available evidence. Public access defibrillation is clearly linked to better survival to discharge rates (i.e. people actually leaving the hospital). EDIT: As an anecdotal example, I know of at least one person who is walking around today because of a defibrillator at a stadium. 17 year old male took a lacrosse ball to the chest, instantly triggering ventricular fibrillation[1]. The athletic trainer used an AED from the seating area and his heart was beating again before the ambulance arrived. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis
- barking 8y ago
  No he was a consultant, without the "", which means that he had a medical degree plus postgraduate qualifications and about 10 years in hospital training positions usually including experience in different countries. At least that's the norm here.

Cthulhu_ 8y ago

I don't get it. Aren't A&E people in ambulances reaching for the defibrillator themselves? And don't the automatic defibrillators allow for a much faster response time in the case of fibrillation, lowering the chance at brain damage and the like? I mean I don't know how often people end up needing one of those in real life and I'm pretty sure it's some weird conspiracy by the manufacturer(s) of that device, but still.

JshWright 8y ago

The opinion of that A&E "consultant" is unsupported by the available evidence. Public access defibrillation is clearly linked to better survival to discharge rates (i.e. people actually leaving the hospital). EDIT: As an anecdotal example, I know of at least one person who is walking around today because of a defibrillator at a stadium. 17 year old male took a lacrosse ball to the chest, instantly triggering ventricular fibrillation[1]. The athletic trainer used an AED from the seating area and his heart was beating again before the ambulance arrived. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis

barking 8y ago
No he was a consultant, without the "", which means that he had a medical degree plus postgraduate qualifications and about 10 years in hospital training positions usually including experience in different countries. At least that's the norm here.