Heart Safe news: Our weekly update on what’s happening in the world of heart safety and noninvasive cardiology

NIST releases tools for test EHR handling of vital signs and other criteria

How well will an electronic health records (EHR) system comply with the new federal requirements? Now it’s possible to find out. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the first of four installments (“Waves”) of tools for testing EHR systems.

The first installment provides tools for testing an EHR system’s ability to record and chart vital signs data, as well as to maintain an up-to-date problem list, maintain active medication list, chart smoking status, and handle computerized provider order entry.

Vital signs. Enable a user to electronically record, modify, and retrieve a patient’s vital signs including, at a minimum, the height, weight, blood pressure, temperature, and pulse.

This first installment of tools is based on the meaningful use criteria from the Interim Final Rule published Jan. 13, 2010. NIST is seeking user feedback on the test methods.

Drownings spur Australian community to get AED and AED training

CPR and AED training in Ballina, New South Wales (Photo: Ballina Shire Advocate online)

It takes an ambulance as much as 25 minutes to reach communities on the south side of the Richmond River in Ballina, New South Wales — far too long to be able to save a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. That’s been a concern to safety officials in the area, and in January two drownings spurred the community to invest in heart safety.

Now Coast Guard first aid officer Lorraine Leuckel is guiding community efforts to acquire CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training and a community AED. She told the Ballina Shire Advocate that her goal is to get one in 10 residents of the south side villages training to administer CPR and use an AED. The community is raising funds to buy a defibrillator that will be stored at a centrally accessible location.

Leuckel held a CPR training event in February, using a Cardiac Science Powerheart AED G3 to demonstrate AED use.

AED rescue at Arizona gym

A Yuma gym’s AED helped save a racquetball player’s life last week. The Yuma Fire Department reported that the 71-year-old man collapsed on the court at Club Yuma Fitness Center, a victim of  sudden cardiac arrest. Another gym member called for help, and Brittany Ebersole responded, using the club’s AED to restart the victim’s heart.

Ebersole, who was working out at the club, is a paramedic. The YumaSun.com reported that the man was back on his feet before an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital.

Club owner Nancy Patterson told the Yuma Sun that fitness clubs and gyms are recommended to have AEDs on hand to deal with just such emergencies.

“I think that every business should have one,” she said.

UK region invests in public access defibrillators

The communities that make up Rossendale, Lancashire County, UK, are raising funds to purchase more automated external debrillators. The “Defibrillators for the High Streets” campaign is led by Rossendale Woman of the Year 2009 Dawn Taylor, who aims to get a “cPad” (Community Public Access Defibrillator) box in each town.

Shown at right with a Powerheart AED are Dawn Taylor; Tony Garner, Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce; Clare Mulderrig and Tony Winder, Lancashire County Councillor. (Photo: AboutMyArea.co.uk)

Related Products

• Powerheart AED G3 Plus
• Powerheart AED G3 Fully Automatic and Semi-automatic
• Powerheart AED G3 Pro
• Powerheart AED G3 Trainer
• AED Program Management

Last 5 posts

• Cardiac Science AEDs in Spain [VIDEO] - April 4th, 2011
• Cardiac Science wins first major public access defibrillation program in Europe - March 30th, 2011
• Georgia Park saves 5 lives with AEDs - March 24th, 2011
• Sad stories, avoidable deaths? - March 23rd, 2011
• Texas school's AED saves 6-year-old's life - March 22nd, 2011

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