39 - The Dangers of Too Many Defibrillators

Of course a defibrillator is a wonderful piece of medical equipment. When required, it can literally be life-saving. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that, at the right time and in the right hands it can bring someone back from the dead.

When you suffer a cardiac arrest your heart stops beating, your circulation collapses and you are dead. Dead you will remain unless someone or something intervenes. What that, in effect, means is someone, skilled in the art, applying external cardiac massage (CPR) or applying the paddles of a defibrillator to your chest wall. The latter is more effective than the former.

But does this mean we should have a defibrillator hanging from every lamppost in the country? No it does not and this is the point:

The period of time that elapses between the heart stopping and starting up again is absolutely critical. Left too long in arrest, irreparable brain damage starts occurring. You can bring someone back to life alright, but will that be a life that they will thank you for?

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My book The Foxhunter, available on Amazon, describes this tragedy in great detail.