Put defibrillators in ski resorts

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A British doctor argues that there should be defibrillators available in ski resorts to aid people having cardiac arrest.
Automated external defibrillators are electrical devices that are used to restore normal heartbeat in cases of cardiac arrest. They are increasingly made available in public places like airports and shopping malls. An experience in a ski resort has made British doctor Sarah Davies argue that skiers should have access to defibrillators too.

Skiing downhill is a strenuous sport which, although good for fitness, may put those who are unused to it, or who have heart disease, at risk of cardiac arrest. Dr Davies was present when a man collapsed on the ski slope. She assisted him together with other medical professionals present, all of whom understood the European Resuscitation Council guidelines. A defibrillator was provided via an emergency helicopter, but she feels the patient would have benefited if one had been available on site. Non-medical personnel, like ski patrollers, could learn to use the defibrillator - as happens in other public places. Ski resorts are often remote from medical help and those using them may be more vulnerable to cardiac arrest than the general population. The presence of a defibrillator could, therefore, save lives during the skiing season.

Source
British Medical Journal 16th December 2006 Volume 333 page 1276

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