Defibrillators Needed At Resorts

A recent article in the British Medical Journal states that British doctors are calling for defibrillators to be available at ski resorts for cardiac emergencies. This comes after an incident where a British physician was vacationing at a European resort and was asked to help with a skier who had gone into cardiac arrest. As it turned out no defibrillator was found until an emergency response team brought one, ten minutes after being called.

The article goes on to say that it is not uncommon for non-professional medical personnel to be trained in the use of defibrillators, and ski patrol and other key staff should be able to use the life-saving machines. Obviously this shouldn’t be limited to European resorts and all resorts worldwide should heed the good doctors’ pleas.

U.S Ski Patrol and PSIA people should take special notice and include training on defibrillator use in their curriculum – and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) should push for the resorts to have machines made available and over offer training to staff. After all, skiing is a strenuous sport and can trigger cardiac incidents in certain customers. It would be good if everyone were prepared to help.