ST. PAUL, MN--They are stationed across Minnesota to help victims of sudden cardiac arrest, and a new effort is underway to make sure those automated external defibrillators are in working order when they're needed. A bill at the Legislature would set up a registry of public AEDs to alert the owners when maintenance is needed, according to Kim Harkins, program manager with the Minnesota Resuscitation Consortium at the University of Minnesota.
"The bill really is out there to not make it more difficult for AED owners, but merely to provide them with that tool or reminder for that public access AED that there is maintenance required," she said.
According to the American Heart Association, the chances that a cardiac arrest victim will survive can double or triple when a bystander assists with an AED, or by applying CPR. In Minnesota, heart disease is the second-leading cause of death.
Harkins said the registry would alert owners about manufacturer recalls, or when parts of the AEDs need replacing. She explained that the timing varies depending on the model.
"Some AEDs, the electrodes expire in two years: others, it's five years. Same thing goes for the batteries. And many people do keep them in working order. Many people check them quite frequently, but we do find that there are lots out there that haven't been checked in several years," Harkins cautioned.
Bill information is at revisor.mn.gov.
SOURCE: Public News Service