Saving Lives at the Capitol with Defibrillators.For the past two years, lawmakers have worked at passing laws to make lifesaving automated external defibrillators, which can be used to save the lives of cardiac arrest cardiac arrest n. Abbr. CA A sudden cessation of cardiac function, resulting in loss of effective circulation. Cardiac arrest A condition in which the heart stops functioning. victims, easily available to the public. Now, policymakers are bringing these emergency machines home -- to the statehouse state·house also state house n. A building in which a state legislature holds sessions; a state capitol. statehouse Noun NZ a rented house built by the government Noun 1. . A recent survey of National Legislative Services and Security Association members determined that several state legislatures have purchased the defibrillators (AEDs) and trained staff to use them if someone suffers cardiac arrest within the Capitol. Alaska, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). , Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington have installed defibrillators in central locations and have trained security personnel. The Hawaii Legislature received automatic external defibrillators from the American Heart Association American Heart Association (AHA), n.pr a national voluntary health agency that has the goal of increasing public and medical awareness of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and thereby reducing the number of associated deaths and disabilities. of Hawaii in April. "Every building that houses public employees should have at least one AED AED - Automated Engineering Design ," says Michigan Senator John J.H. Schwarz, MD. The defibrillators analyze heart rhythms to determine whether a shock is necessary and then deliver the shock to the heart. Approximately 350,000 Americans die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association. Currently only 5 percent of those in cardiac arrest survive because the chances of living decrease each minute until the heart is shocked by a defibrillator defibrillator, device that delivers an electrical shock to the heart in order to stop certain forms of rapid heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). The shock changes a fibrillation to an organized rhythm or changes a very rapid and ineffective cardiac rhythm to a . Experts have estimated that 20,000 to 100,000 lives could be saved each year if there is greater access to defibrillators. Each machine is about the size of a laptop computer and costs $3,000. And the feds are following suit. Soon defibrillators will be available in federal buildings if a bill approved by the House of Representatives receives the blessing of the full Congress. "This simple common sense measure has the potential to save countless lives," said Congressman Mike Bilirakis, Florida. The bills also would exempt from liability "Good Samaritans" using the equipment, as do most state laws. NCSL NCSL National Conference of State Legislatures NCSL National College for School Leadership NCSL National Conference of Standards Laboratories NCSL National Council of State Legislators NCSL National Computer Systems Laboratory (NIST) maintains a compilation of state legislation regarding AEDs at http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/aed.htm |
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