Last August, Zoll received approval from the FDA to sell a new LifeVest defibrillator.

Chicago Residents are now debating whether the availablity of a defibrillator on the Chicago Metra Train might have saved a man that died from cardiac arrest on October 9th, 2009.

Two nurses rushed to assist Metra crew members who tried to help the 63-year-old Barrington Hills man with heart attack symptoms. They attempted CPR. Emergency responders who met the train at the Palatine station also tried to save the man, but died.

The tragic story quickly raised questions among some regular passengers and medical authorities, who questioned why the Metra trains, unlike passenger airplanes, don’t have defibrillators on board. It also came to light that neither the CTA buses and trains have them available.

Defibrillators are becoming more common on mass transit systems, not just in the United States but all over the world. Why a major transportation system like the Metra has thus far failed to provide AED remains a mystery.

What do you think?

Philips Recalling 5,400 FR2+ Automated External Defibrillators

Philips is recalling some 5,400 defibrillators from their professional line, the FR2+ due to a problem with a memory chip that is experiencing a high rate of failure and will lead to the defibrillator unit being inoperable. The units detected the problems during the self-test routines and not during acutal emergency usage.

The defibrillator recall affects models M3860A and M3861A distributed by Philips as well as models M3840A and M3841A distributed by Laerdal Medical. All the recalled defibrillators were manufactured between May 2007 and Janry 2008.

See Philips Recall Information
See more information on Philips Defibrillators

A Defibrillator is a life saving device that is used in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. Most public access defibrillators can be used with little or no training. This video shows how easy it can be to use the Lifeline AED if it is needed.

The LifeVest is mainly worn by those of very high-risk of having cardiac arrest!

The LifeVest is worn outside of the body rather than having to be implanted in the chest. Reasons could be for the risk of surgery or patient preference.

The Zoll LifeVest consist of two main pieces to the defibrillator:

An electrode belt and garment that surrounds the patient’s chest and A monitor the patient puts around their waist or wears as a shoulder strap.

For more information see: Zoll LifeVest.

Defibrillators save lives, there is no arguing that fact! They can be used to resuscitate victims of cardiac arrest successfully and it is estimated that they could save tens of thousands of American Lives each year if they were readily available. But what happens when they are available but not easily accessible?

Researchers found 83% of the US high schools surveyed with AED programs (1710) had some sort of plan in place for emergency response for sudden cardiac arrest, but only 40% actually practiced and review their plans at least once a year. Last year there were 36 cases of cardiac arrest at the same 1710 high schools. Studies found that over those 36 cases, 83% received an AED shock. Schools actually fare better than other defibrillator installations.

There is a growing need for CPR training and Smart AED Deployment in urban environments. Finding the best possible locations for defibrillator placement is just as important as having defibrillators deployed.

Defibrillators save lives, they have helped increase survival rates outside the hospital and should be more effectively used inside the hospital. The New England Journal study found that african americans had a 25% lower surivival rate after suffering a heart attack in the hospital than other races.

If you are at high risk for a heart attack, you should either have a defibrillator stashed in your trunk, house or office. You may also want to consider showing your friends and family how to administer the defibrillator treatment if necessary. That defibrillator purchase you made can very well end up saving your life one day. Don’t rely on hospitals and medical staff alone.