Defibrillator

[tearinghair]

Just been watching an item on the news about defibrillators. I have an Advance Decision in place, and would not want to be resuscitated if I had a heart attack in the street. But how would people know this, without opening my handbag and purse where I keep the basic information? Presumably they would be too busy following their instructions to spend time checking?

[Stephen_G]

You can buy silicone bracelets on Amazon (As well as Surgical grade Steel), but I don't know how a trained person would know though.

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[rockyracoon]

To be honest, tearinghear, I've just completed a first aid course, and it didn't once mention about looking to see if someone wanted to be saved, or not.

I would be very uncomfortable raking through someones handbag or pockets to find out.

[237SJ]

They wouldn't know - they would just commence CPR with the defib

[alavahalf]

Get a tatoo across your chest .. they will soon find it when they go to attach the defib !

[rockyracoon]

That's a good idea. Maybe not a tattoo, but a necklace.

[Prudie]

If it was someone dropping in the street would any paramedic or anyone else for that matter stand and do nothing even if thy knew and understood what an Advance Decision was?

[237SJ]

I suppose you could get something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Personalised-Medical-Alert-Necklace-DNR-Do-Not-Resuscitate-/263431766027 You would have to make sure it is on quite a long chain and next to your skin so that when your clothes are pulled up whilst attaching the defib, it could be seen.

[Mamyalynne]

A necklace seems the best way, but in reality in an emergency in a public place you'll have to take the chance like all of us.

[Spungle]

As a first aider trained to used a defib, I wouldn't hesitate to use it, regardless of wristbands or necklaces. Think about how other people would feel standing around and watching you die, knowing that they could have saved you. Every second counts in a heart attack situation and there is no way you can expect lifesavers to start fumbling through your purse. I sincerely hope you never have a heart attack, but if you do, that someone will save your life. Best wishes.

[237SJ]

To be honest, even if there is no defib available there will be people who will perform CPR if they know how to so the defib situation is neither here nor there if you don`t wish to be resuscitated.

[tearinghair]

Hmmm - so I wonder what is the point of making such a decision (not taken lightly, but very sincerely). Maybe the training to use defibrillators should include a warning to check superficially at least - necklace, bracelet etc - and the Advance Decision form should include a reminder to make one's wishes immediately obvious if possible? Sorry, Spungle, but I would not want someone to save my life in those circumstances, but thank you for your good wishes all the same.

[kvalidir]

I think there are times when it's appropriate to resuscitate someone and times it really isn't, one of them being when someone is wearing a bracelet or necklace which says 'Do Not Resuscitate'. I think it's arrogant in the extreme to resuscitate anyone under those circumstances, why ever would you? Onlookers are neither here nor there. x

[237SJ]

Defibs work if the person is suffering from ventricular fibrillation (hence the name defib) The chances are that someone with a DNR would not be suffering from that anyway - they might be in cardiac arrest so I doubt it is an issue for many people in that situation anyway

[Spungle]

Dropping down on the street is a totally different scenario to allowing someone who is clearly terminally ill to die in a controlled environment in a hospital bed with medical staff available.

I think I understand your wish to have a choice, but could I suggest that if I saw someone having a heart attack in a public place, there would be no choice for me but to do my utmost to save that person, regardless. Most with paramedic/first aid training would instinctively regard it their duty to save life, and to stand around and watch someone die knowing they could have at least tried to save them is not an option. I, for one, would not forgive myself for walking away from someone who had a chance to survive. Perhaps consider it from this perspective also? Again, very best wishes, I don't question your right to a choice- but there is no choice for those trained to save life.

[Prudie]

I understand their point but their use is surely when already in hospital, ill or in contact with your medical team who will have your decision on record. A stranger who collapses in the street would hopefully have some brave persons around to help and I doubt they'd look for a sign or take any notice.
It would be, as said, a terrible burden to expect someone to do nothing and nothing to do with arrogance.

[kvalidir]

I would have no issue with trying to resuscitate anyone in the street, it's absolutely something I would do, but if I saw a DNR bracelet I would desist as I would view it as really huge lack of respect for that person and tbh there are many worse deaths than dropping dead in the street, which you might sentence them to if you do resuscitate them.

[Spungle]

To answer Kval's point- which is more arrogant- ordering your own death in an emergency situation to regardless of the feelings of those who would save your life, or to at least attempt to save someone's life knowing that you had done what you could? Why wouldn't you? If you had ever had medical training, or basic humanitarian instincts, or seen someone having a heart attack you would understand that to watch someone die knowing you could have saved them and not doing so is going to have a very profound effect, negatively.

[kvalidir]

Lots of HUUUUUGE assumptions there Spungle.
1. Quite right I've had no formal medical training other than basic first aid.
2. I think I am a very humanitarian person thanks very much, so much so that I would be willing to consider someone else's wishes about their own life above my own instincts to preserve it against their will, negative effect in me or not.
3. I've seen two people have heart attacks ( my Grandfather twice). He wants to be resuscitated but if he didn't I would respect his wish to die because in my humble opinion that is the right thing to do.
I don't believe it's arrogant for someone to ask someone not to resuscitate them in any scenario, this is their life not yours, and life is not always the prize, sometimes the kiss of Hades is preferable.

[andres]

There doesn't seem to be much point in selling these bracelets and necklaces if the only place where they will be taken any notice of is if you are in hospital. Heart attacks can happen anywhere .

[237SJ]

They can happen anywhere and if you are flying, tell your airline that you are DNR and then the crew won`t try to resuscitate you