Shock Someone When They Need It Most! By Dr. Peter W. Kujtan, B.Sc., M.D., Ph.D.

When I was a youngster, it was a common practice to take first aid training. I did mine with the St.John’s Ambulance at age 13. It just made a lot of sense. The basic technical skills of performing mouth to mouth breathing, splinting and bandaging were augmented by something much more important. It provided for me a perspective of how best to organize my thoughts when the adrenalin is pumping during an emergency, and decisions and actions must be measured in seconds. In the 1970’s I enrolled in a course to learn a new and controversial technique to employ on people experiencing cardiac standstill. It was called cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and today is commonly known as CPR. It is a technique that has the potential to save many lives. The technique is still evolving, and a new major change is a much greater reliance on performing more compressions compared to breaths.

While attending university, the government was in the process of standardizing emergency services. I earned my way through school by working on the ambulances. It was an eye-opening opportunity that any med student raved about. My first major accident scene came on day 2 of training at the Brampton base, when we were all summoned to the airport in response to a large DC-9 that had overshot the runway on take-off and lay in pieces at the bottom of a ravine. Transporting large groups of casualties to warm hospitals teaming with medical expertise before their golden hour ticked by, defined the essence of ones skill. A year later, I found myself working endless days during the chlorine tank car explosion better known as the “Miracle of Mississauga”. Both major catastrophes, but the best skill to have under ones belt was basic first aid training and an ability to make lightning decisions while moving on.

It is simple tools and rational thinking that save lives. Many of us have failed to notice that around our fair city numerous gadgets are sprouting up mounted in conspicuous cabinets. We have entered the age of the “Automatic Defibrillator” or AF! Most arena’s and community centers have them, and more public buildings are obtaining them. These things looking daunting and difficult to use, but nothing could be further from the truth. They can and do save lives. An AF is simply a portable heart monitor that is capable of delivering an electric charge to a fibrillating heart. In most cases, you simply grab the device and push the “on” button, and listen for a voice prompt to guide you through the next two steps. The first step simply involves removing some pads attached to the device with lead wires and affixing them to the victim’s chest. Once that is done, the device will automatically assess the situation and warn you that it will be delivering a shock to the victim. It will not require you to make any type of medical decision, and is set up so that it is virtually impossible to shock a conscious person with a heartbeat. I would urge all of my readers to take a close look for these AF machines around the city. If you get the opportunity, attend a demonstration of one. Next time that you hear someone cry “call 911”, consider grabbing the machine and bringing it to the aid of the victim. Let us resolve, that in our city no more deaths will occur within visual range of an unused AF! May the spirit of Easter find you well. Watch out for rotten eggs, and don’t let them spoil your day!