The rare but important situations in which an AED would useful would be either ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. If the AED is attached correctly and one of these two conditions is present then the shock given might convert the heart rhythm back to normal heart rhythm. However, the cause of the problem may not have solved. In a young athlete who suffers a blow to the chest from a baseball or hockey puck the heart (causing v-fib) the AED might very well convert the heart to normal rhythm. In that case, with an underlying healthy young heart, little or nothing more is generally required except close observation. In an elderly person the cause is more likely to be heart disease and while the AED may initially convert the heart back to a healthy rhythm, chances are the heart attack (or other event) will either hamper this conversion or often result in a return to the malignant rhythm. This reinforces the need for other skills (CPR etc.) and the obvious problem with being out at sea far from immediate medical help. Murray Archdekin Kullan 1970 42 ft ED Monk Trawler -----Original Message----- From: trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com [mailto:trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Siegel Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 4:19 PM To: 'ronald barr'; trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com Subject: T&T: RE: Defibrilators > The unthinkable happens, you use the defrib, the patient > recovers, then what?? Almost immediate medical attention is > needed what have you achieved? > With AED: 1. Mayday 2. Coast Guard response 3. Delivery to ALS critical care Without AED: 1. Watch your loved one die ================ Jeffrey Siegel M/V aCappella DeFever 53PH W1ACA/WDB4350 Castine, Maine _______________________________________________ http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawlers-and-trawlering To Unsubscribe send email to trawlers-and-trawlering-request@lists.samurai.com Include the word Unsubscribe (and nothing else) in the subject or body of the message.