'Managing' sudden death: Doctor pushes to install defibrillators in Quebec's public spaces
A Quebec cardiologist is spearheading an effort to install more defibrillators in public, with the goal of making the life-saving machines more accessible in a crisis.
An automatic external defibrillator (AED) can restart a heart, but only if you work fast, Dr. Paul Poirier explains.
"If there's no defibrillator nearby, they will die. Every minute correlates with [a] 10 percent death rate. Ten minutes, you're dead," Poirier told CTV News.
Poirier wants AEDs placed at central points where people often pass by or gather, especially in rural areas.
"We have to put it in schools, we have to go public," he said. "Sudden death, by definition, is sudden. You cannot prevent it so you have to manage it."
He cited the dramatic case of NFL football player Damar Hamlin's collapse on the field last month.
"This guy is alive because he had a defibrillator nearby. Shock, bang."
He approves of the Quebec government's installation of 100 AEDs in automated bank teller locations. 900 more will be installed in the future.
The next big hurdle is to engage the public.
"We have to demystify that a defibrillator is not a safe thing to use," said Victoria Moorhouse with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "It is 100 per cent safe to use with audio and visual prompts. Anyone can use a defibrillator."
Moorhouse, a CPR instructor, says if you see someone in cardiac arrest, call 911 and get the nearest AED.
The technology will take it from there, providing the user with clear audio instructions and pictograms.
"It's a portable device that will give an electric shock to the person who needs it. So anybody who doesn't need it, the defibrillator is smart enough to know [not to] give a shock," she explained.
After using the pads, resume CPR until paramedics arrive.
"Follow the tempo. The AED is there to guide you," Moorhouse said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Cohen expected to take the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.