ACA Home Forums Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

Has anyone purchased an AED for their camp? Has it been useful thus far? We are considering purchasing one for our camp which primarily serves youth and young adults with physical disabilities and/or chronic illnesses.

My camp does not have diffibulators. As a first responder (so, not really an expert), i was told that most pediatics patients don't have problems with circulation but more of airway and breathing. Alot of camps have mostly young kids and it seems very unnessacry with the cost and the small aamount of money most camps have available. At the same time, it would be great to have every possible safety thing available at camp for our kids.

AED's are an important part of camp. The american heart association has said AED's can be used on patients 8 years of age and older this would fit most kids at camp. Also some camps parents attend with their children or there are visitor days when grandparents show up. If something was to happen to a child parent grandparent of staff member and AED could save their life. The sooner a shock can be delivered the better chance of survival your patient has. Now you said your camp deals with special needs children be checking on DNR orders for those patients. BY ALL MEANS GET AN AED!!!!!

I know I am responding to a very old thread here but the topic is timely and this is one of the few threads that are pulled up in searc discussing AEDs.

A lot has changed since 2002. We were ALL in emergency medicine, let alone first responders, that kids don't go into shockable rhythms and if they arrest it is usually secondary to airway problems.

Every 5 years all the CPR training folks, researchers and docs get together and come up with concensus changes in the CPR standards. This happened in 2000 and again in 2005.

WHile we often get heads up on changes that WILL likely occur at the next cycle but in 30 years I do not remember EVER seeing them say "effective this date" a change would occur. It happened in 2004 and they said we have discovered ( largely by the successful resusitations of kids in NY and PA) that kids DO go into these rhythms and need to be shocked.....

Now there are pediatric modules available for many makes of AEDs and children 1-8 should also be protected with AEDs.

It is so important they say if you do not have pediatric modules available you should use an adult model. These devices are so very important, I will be happy to answer any questions about the liability ( there is none), costs, features funding suggestions, grants....