A middle-aged man went into cardiac arrest survived despite a malfunctioning AED. The incident occurred at a game at Pitt Meadows Arena.
AED malfunctions when needed the most
The players in an oldtimer’s hockey league helped in saving a teammate after he suffered a heart attack in one of the dressing rooms at Pitt Meadows Arena Complex. The teammates performed CPR and rushed to obtain a second AED after discovering that the batteries in the first device were dead.
The man just finished playing a game when he went into cardiac arrest after entering the dressing room. The members of his team, the Tri-City Chiefs initiated CPR. When he failed to respond, the quickly obtained an automated external defibrillator (AED) in the Volkswagen rink. Sadly, the defibrillator was not working. The teammates raced to another AED in the Chrysler Arena. An engineer with the facility who was cleaning an empty dressing room also rushed to help.
The engineer performed CPR while a teammate worked the second AED until the arrival of the paramedics and Pitt Meadows firefighters.
Importance of CPR and AED
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) along with an automated external defibrillator (AED) can save a life. When CPR is performed followed by a shock from an AED, it significantly improves the chances of survival.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a CPR and AED class and for more information, check out these sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defibrillation
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/cpr-new-defibrilators#1
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-cpr-treatment