No shock: Defibrillator bill gets support
If you stumble upon Dr. Andrew Merliss when his heart stops beating and screw up in attempting to revive him, don't worry. "I forgive them," said the self-described Lincoln heart electrician. Your untrained efforts were his best and possibly his only hope.
"I would be very obliged if someone who wasn't trained tried to save my life," Merliss said. "You can't kill someone who is already dead, but you could save them."
A bill exempting from liability any untrained person who uses an automated external defibrillator — a device to shock the heart — has received first-round approval in the Nebraska Legislature. LB176 would remove the distinction between people trained and untrained in the use of AEDs.
The devices have become so sophisticated, Merliss said, they do just about everything but attach themselves.
"In my heart, I know that anybody can use a defibrillator," he said. And their potential for saving lives is dramatic.
One person dies every minute in this country from sudden cardiac death, about a half million people each year. Many could be saved.
In Seattle and Rochester, Minn., where knowledge of CPR is widespread, "They have close to a 50 percent save rate," Merliss said.
In Lincoln, the save rate is 11 percent, said Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department assistant director Steve Beal. There are 125 to 140 sudden cardiac arrests in Lancaster County each year, Beal said. "Most of them don't make it," he said.
Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, which occurs when an artery feeding the heart becomes blocked.
Cardiac failure occurs when electrical problems cause the heart to fibrillate or quiver. Instead of pumping, "It looks like a bowl of Jell-o and it's just quivering," Merliss said.
Many people get cardiac failure after surviving an earlier heart attack. The resulting scar tissue can cause electrical problems.
The common initial symptom of a heart attack is pain. If someone collapses suddenly, particularly if they have a history of heart disease, Merliss said, their likelihood of cardiac arrest is extremely high.
Once fibrillation begins, the likelihood of death increases 10 percent with every minute it continues. After three minutes the odds of permanent brain damage start climbing.
Ideally, someone who knows cardiopulmonary resuscitation would use an AED to shock the heart and initiate a normal rhythm. Barring that, Merliss said, any fourth-grader will do.
The beauty of the devices, he said, they analyze the heart rhythm and shock only if it will help. "It won't shock a normal rhythm," he said.
The device also can't harm someone giving a shock unless they apply the paddles to both cheeks, he said, and even then it wouldn't fire.
About 75 AEDs have been scattered around Lincoln, in churches, airports and shopping malls. Lincoln police will soon have 10 devices roaming the city in squad cars.
"It still isn't enough," Merliss said. "We may find that we are going to want these in residential areas like fire alarm boxes."
To be considered successful, Beal said, Lincoln needs to save roughly a third of those who get cardiac arrest. To do that will require a broader distribution of AEDs, he said.
Currently, a handful of endowments and foundations provide $40,000 to buy an additional 25 annually. People also need to become comfortable using them, Merliss said.
If all you do when somebody goes down is call 911, he said, "The truth is, that guy is not going to live."
Reach Mark Andersen at 473-7238 or mandersen@journalstar.com.
"I would be very obliged if someone who wasn't trained tried to save my life," Merliss said. "You can't kill someone who is already dead, but you could save them."
A bill exempting from liability any untrained person who uses an automated external defibrillator — a device to shock the heart — has received first-round approval in the Nebraska Legislature. LB176 would remove the distinction between people trained and untrained in the use of AEDs.
The devices have become so sophisticated, Merliss said, they do just about everything but attach themselves.
"In my heart, I know that anybody can use a defibrillator," he said. And their potential for saving lives is dramatic.
One person dies every minute in this country from sudden cardiac death, about a half million people each year. Many could be saved.
In Seattle and Rochester, Minn., where knowledge of CPR is widespread, "They have close to a 50 percent save rate," Merliss said.
In Lincoln, the save rate is 11 percent, said Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department assistant director Steve Beal. There are 125 to 140 sudden cardiac arrests in Lancaster County each year, Beal said. "Most of them don't make it," he said.
Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, which occurs when an artery feeding the heart becomes blocked.
Cardiac failure occurs when electrical problems cause the heart to fibrillate or quiver. Instead of pumping, "It looks like a bowl of Jell-o and it's just quivering," Merliss said.
Many people get cardiac failure after surviving an earlier heart attack. The resulting scar tissue can cause electrical problems.
The common initial symptom of a heart attack is pain. If someone collapses suddenly, particularly if they have a history of heart disease, Merliss said, their likelihood of cardiac arrest is extremely high.
Once fibrillation begins, the likelihood of death increases 10 percent with every minute it continues. After three minutes the odds of permanent brain damage start climbing.
Ideally, someone who knows cardiopulmonary resuscitation would use an AED to shock the heart and initiate a normal rhythm. Barring that, Merliss said, any fourth-grader will do.
The beauty of the devices, he said, they analyze the heart rhythm and shock only if it will help. "It won't shock a normal rhythm," he said.
The device also can't harm someone giving a shock unless they apply the paddles to both cheeks, he said, and even then it wouldn't fire.
About 75 AEDs have been scattered around Lincoln, in churches, airports and shopping malls. Lincoln police will soon have 10 devices roaming the city in squad cars.
"It still isn't enough," Merliss said. "We may find that we are going to want these in residential areas like fire alarm boxes."
To be considered successful, Beal said, Lincoln needs to save roughly a third of those who get cardiac arrest. To do that will require a broader distribution of AEDs, he said.
Currently, a handful of endowments and foundations provide $40,000 to buy an additional 25 annually. People also need to become comfortable using them, Merliss said.
If all you do when somebody goes down is call 911, he said, "The truth is, that guy is not going to live."
Reach Mark Andersen at 473-7238 or mandersen@journalstar.com.
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