Public access defibrillators

I rather like knowing they have one there, in case he has a heart attack. Although it didn't do my friend much good two years ago - she died on stage in front of a group of girls when she was teaching them a dance routine. It was too severe an attack.

I'm all for attempting CPR and I think that in most cases defibrillating someone can only be beneficial - doing nothing isn't an option.

I do have misgivings should the patient have a pacemaker but even then all attempts to resuscitate should go ahead.

I don't know what the success rate is but definitely doing nothing is going to be fatal in the majority of cases.

I'm with you, bags!

There's one at DBH's school, for the school and the village. There are always a couple of nurses on duty so it makes sense that they should have it.

It's good to see some joined up thinking on this Tanith.

I think Ambulance trusts are informed when a Public Access Defibrillator is installed and they encourage any institution or business inform them if they have installed one in their buildings. I don't know about a central register Katek but certainly the Ambulance Service should be able to tell you if there is one close by.

Is that the case across the UK Tanith? Is there a central register of PADS?

I'm ambivalent about them too, not least because if I suffer a massive cardiac arrest I want to be allowed to be dead! Likewise re CPR.

Emergency services will tell you if there is a machine in close proximity if you dialed 999 about a collapse.

PADS as they are called are very simple to use and you do not need to be trained to use one. When you open it up the machine will give clear instructions with what you should do and once the pads are in place it will detect the heart rythym and it won't deliver a shock unless one is needed. CPR should be carried out too but its better to do something rather than nothing.

Oops sorry for the lol! Thought I was still on FB

Lol Grannyknot!

All I know about this is as doctor acquaintance who has a pacemaker says it's his biggest fear that a poorly trained member of the public will paddle him one day when he is just dozing in a chair somewhere...!