Scouting, Volume 99, Number 3, May-June 2011 Page: 38
48 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
o SURVIVE THIS!
BY JOSH PIVEN
Device for Life
Quick tips for effectively using an AED.
EMERGENCY SITUATION:
During a rousing sing-along
before dinner, you notice
a fellow Scout leader grab
his chest and collapse. You
spot an automated external
defibrillator (AED) on the
wall. What do you do?
Solution
I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE: First, don't
panic. While it's true that a person
undergoing sudden cardiac arrest
(SCA) is in need of immediate
help—each minute of SCA leads to a
10 percent reduction in survival—you
must keep your wits about you.
Your first move is the most
important: calling 911. Second, check
to make sure the victim is nonre-
sponsive by shouting at and shaking
the person. Next, check the victim's
breathing and pulse. If either is
erratic, this is a sign of SCA. But don't
waste precious seconds or minutes
searching for a pulse. It might be dif-
ficult to detect.
Finally, direct a helper to begin
CPR while you grab the AED and
prepare it. Fortunately, today's AEDs
were designed for operation by an
untrained responder. They offer
audible and visual instructions, and
they only produce a potentially life-
saving jolt if the machine detects one
is needed. Still, you must take several
steps before the AED can do its job.
First, turn on the machine and
direct others to move the victim to a
dry, nonmetallic surface. Next, remove
the victim's clothing so the chest
is exposed and dry the skin. AED
paddles must make good contact.
Before placing the paddles on
the victim, check for and remove
all metal items touching the skin,
including watches, jewelry, or pierc-
ings. Next, check for a medical-alert
bracelet, pacemaker, or other internal
heart defibrillator (you should see the
oudine of the device under the skin).
Never withhold use of an AED on
a person with a pacemaker. But for
safety, don't place the pads directly on
top of the device. Place the paddles on
the victim's chest and check that the
wires are connected to the AED.
After making sure no one is
touching the victim, press the AED's
"analyze" button. The machine will
check the victim's heart rhythm and,
if a shock is needed, it will tell you
when to deliver it. Now you can
shout, "Clear!" Standing away from
the victim, push the AED's "shock"
button. The machine will deliver the
necessary jolt—or several, if needed—
and direct you to continue with CPR
until trained responders arrive.
Be Prepared
► A recent survey showed that 83
percent of council camps are
equipped with AEDs, says Richard
Bourlon, the BSA's director of
Health and Safety. The goal, he
says, is 100 percent deployment. ★
JOSH PIVEN is co-author of the Worst-
Case Scenario Survival Handbook
series. Visit his Web site at joshpiven.net
38
SCOUTING * MAY-JUNE 2011
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 99, Number 3, May-June 2011, periodical, May 2011; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth299174/m1/40/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.