Cardiac Arrest

[Cutter]

An enigmatic cutter - I like that - normally the adjective is far worse.
Just had lunch at the Connaught and witnessed a cardiac arrest on the way back to work (about to do w/e on call and so won't get to boat so had to have a little pleasure!).
Luckily someone with a first aid certificate rushed forward and pushed me aside so I was able to stand by, call the ambulance and watch. The boys in green arrived very quickly and were very good. They zapped the poor chap with the automatic de-luxe defib and took him away.
Even so I wont be buying one for the boat.
Just a hint for those of you who have done the first aid courses and resucitated the doll - most people who collapse are not pretty girls who sit up and throw their aarms round you - they are normally slightly "high" older men who simply throw up over you. Be warned and stay upwind!
About to do YM practical and was frightened that I'd have to do a first aid exam but luckily am exempted.


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[dralex]

I called the RYA about that and was pleased to find I could be exempted. Good luck with YM.

Alex

<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[ribrunt]

Something not mentioned is the implications of mixing salt-laden H2O and high-voltage...I know Fire Service dry pt & put on blanket before attaching the leads..!

Also - hypothermia is not a good example for use of D/F - when heart muscle cools sufficiently (usually after VF occurs) it can no longer efficiently conduct the required "trigger" current. So you have to warm the pt & then whack'em!

The other widely held view is that you should NOT commence External Chest Compressions unless confident of continuing to the point where ALS kicks in - eg. Ambo/Shorecare, esp. when hypothermia is a factor.

Rgds

Ribrunt.

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[dralex]

You sound like you know stuff- agree with what you say. Good point about hypothermia- the cliche being you're not dead until you're warm and dead. The heart will generally be rhythmically unstable until warm.

Still like Jimi's idea about sticking the pads in the water and having Fruit de Mer

<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[doris]

Time to learn to die like a gentleman isn\'t it?nm

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<hr width=100% size=1>Real men do it 2handed.

 

[oldharry]

Clearly a piece of kit that is a must for any single hander....

but as to the DIY solution - the HT lead from the outboard packs a pretty fair punch. The old Seagulls could do it even while running - just reach over the tank to lift the engine over an obstacle, touch the plug lead and you got a jolt guaranteed to kick start Frankenstein. And Seagulls can be had for £50 a time nowadays!

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[bruce]

defib requires a second person to do it as you will be out at the time that the defib is needed. these machines do not work like ya'll have been making fun of, and i do hope that you all never have the chance to watch a family member die, it won't be funny then...

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[Rob_Webb]

Rather late to this thread but only just back from a sailing trip from Fiji to Vanuatu aboard a rather large and lovely new yacht owned and sailed by 2 American couples - they carry a defibrillator at the request of the more elderly chap (aged 67) "just in case" - having spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on a yacht the extra cost of the defib was insignificant and gives peace of mind. And the rest of the crew have had CPR training. So that's their approach.

And co-incidently as we moored in Vanuatu (Port Vila) we found ourselves alongside an Aussie yacht had just lost a member of their crew to a heart attack whilst out in the open ocean. Impossible to say whether a defib would have helped but there is proof that it can happen.

So I can understand why some people sailing with loved ones deemed to be higher risk decide it's worthwhile.

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[charles_reed]

Pretty academic

anyhow for me as I sail single handed.

In any case no family history of cardiac weakness - so I'd reckon, in answer to the original quaetion, it's no more necessary than a liferaft (say) if you're at risk and sail in competent company.

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