Cardiac Science Customer Care (800.426.0337) took a call this week from a fitness center that wanted new pads for their automated external defibrillator (AED). They were replacing a set of pads they’d used early in the week to save a man’s life. It’s a great story, and we wanted to share it:
LaCamas Swim & Sport in Camas, Washington, is a large-scale fitness center with a diverse membership. Their Web site is filled with photos of their Masters swimmers, their Karate Tots, their Headhunters competitive swim team, their triathlon champs, and their Silver Slippers fitness classes for seniors.
The state-of-the-art equipment at LaCamas includes Nautilus and Stairmaster machines, three swimming pools, a full NBA basketball court, and stationery bikes for Spinning. And, just a few steps from the front desk, they have a Cardiac Science Powerheart G3 automated external defibrillator.
The defibrillator isn’t used nearly as often as the other equipment, but, when it is, it can make the difference between death and life.
Just a few days ago, the gym was filled with people working out. Suddenly, in one of the conditioning studios, a 69-year-old man toppled off of a treadmill and collapsed on the floor.
The man was a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. Ayre Williamson, the club’s membership manager and a fitness instructor, was at the front desk when it happened.
“Someone yelled for help,” she recalled. “We called 911, and we grabbed the defibrillator and ran in. The man had no pulse, no breathing – he was completely unconscious.”
It turned out that two of the people working out in the studio were physicians. They worked with staff to remove the man’s shirt and place the defibrillator pads.
“We attached the machine, and it gave the shock,” Williamson said. “When the paramedics arrived, he was conscious. When he left in the ambulance, he was talking.”
The AED, she said, “is dummy-proof. It tells you what to do.”
Williamson, still very excited about the rescue, made an interesting point about the Powerheart’s wall-mount alarm feature. “When we took the AED off the wall, that set off the alarm so that everybody was alerted – all the trainers and all the staff,” she said. “That made it easy for us to get people out of the room, move equipment, and help the paramedics get in.”
Williams noted that all staff at the gym are trained in CPR and use of the facility’s AED. LaCamas Swim & Sport purchased their AED more than three years ago. Although there is no Washington state law requiring that they have an AED, the management made the choice that they would provide that protection to their members.
“It was a choice,” Williamson told us. “And, absolutely, we’re glad that we have one. Thanks for making that machine!”
Reach Cardiac Science Customer Care to get defibrillator for your business and you too may save a life. Reach us at 800.426.0337.
Related Products
- Powerheart AED G3 Plus
- Powerheart AED G3 Fully Automatic and Semi-automatic
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Wed, Sep 23, 2009 |
AEDs