# Gun owners: what's your plan for a heart attack? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499 "2019-02-13T21:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/61 "2019-02-15T00:16:07Z")
In my state: > [@](#): > > A person shall not use an AED unless he/she has successfully completed and holds a current certification from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or other training program recognized by the Department of Health and Senior Services in CPR and use of an AED; provided however, this section shall not be applicable to a person who is licensed as a paramedic, emergency medical technician-D, or a first responder-D by the Department of Health and Senior Services. Comparing AED use to firearm self-defense use is even more restrictive than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/62 "2019-02-15T10:37:29Z")
[Here’s](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870516) an example right on this board of why some people need guns. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/63 "2019-02-15T18:04:57Z")
^ Wrong thread? This isn’t a guns good vs. guns bad thread. There examples of AEDs being needed too, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/64 "2019-02-15T18:31:31Z")
Kinda curious what a bad AED use would look like, though. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/65 "2019-02-15T23:53:07Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > AEDs are a pretty obscure item. They don’t fix all heart attacks, only the specific condition of tachycardia and fibrillation, right? And I’m guessing you couldn’t effectively apply them yourself. And even then, it just keeps you alive long enough ideally for medical help to arrive. So these aren’t magic heart attack saving boxes, it’s not clear that owning one in a home as an individual is a very useful plan. > > So why don’t we draw a closer comparison? Fire extinguishers. Simple, common, easy to store, available whenever you need it, no special training required, second person not required, follow on emergency care not generally required. You just use them in the unlikely event you need them, and they generally solve the problem they were created to solve. The analogy is far more perfect in this case than with an AED. > > This is a silly thread. I guess gun owners are all hypocrites if they don’t own an AED, which is not something that I’ve heard medical professionals advocate for being as a normal piece of equipment in the average home, because hey, if you think you need a tool to help you in one emergency, you need tools to be able to help yourself in every kind of emergency, or you’re a hypocrite I guess. No AED, as pointed out they are useless for most forms of heart attack … but for that I have a husband who is a trained EMT. We do have numerous fire extinguishers around, not to mention smaller ones for our vehicles. A very sensible item to keep around. We also have mrAru’s jump kit, while not as chock full of medical goodies as a current running EMT would have, it is pretty complete. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/66 "2019-02-16T00:41:38Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In terms of sudden, traumatic death, “miniscule” is clearly wrong. Gun deaths are the fourth most prevalent type of injurious death in the United States, behind poisonings/drug overdoses, car accidents, and falls, and they are not that far behind. Those four are way ahead of anything else. Ban the sale of new cars and ladders immediately. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/67 "2019-02-16T12:37:51Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > AEDs are a pretty obscure item. They don’t fix all heart attacks, only the specific condition of tachycardia and fibrillation, right? > [@aruvqan](#): > > No AED, as pointed out they are useless for most forms of heart attack What exactly are you saying “no” to? You just repeat what he says leaving out his mentioning tachycardia and fibrillation. It hasn’t been pointed out that defibrillators are useless for most types of heart attacks- it’s been pointed out that they’re useless for ALL heart attacks. SenorBeef is correct in mentioning tachycardia and fibrillation. > [@](#): > > but for that I have a husband who is a trained EMT. One (EMT or not) is more likely to be successful treating a cardiac arrest with an AED on hand. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/68 "2019-02-17T01:57:56Z")
The premise makes no sense and is obviously agenda driven. It’s based on a finite choice of products to purchase and for some strange reason involves only guns and defibrillators. We’ll pretend it’s possible to use a defibrillator on yourself for the sake of argument. OK, lets play that game, I’ll use a product you’ve spoke fondly of, a new Tesla Model 3. I still want my gun AND a new car AND a defibrillator. Instead of a Model 3 I buy a Chevy Bolt and use the savings to buy a defibrillator AND gun. Any money left over can go toward hookers with CPR training. I’ve solved the safety dilemma facing potential Model 3 buyers. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/69 "2019-02-17T02:06:40Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The premise makes no sense and is obviously agenda driven. It’s based on a finite choice of products to purchase and for some strange reason involves only guns and defibrillators. We’ll pretend it’s possible to use a defibrillator on yourself for the sake of argument. > > OK, lets play that game, I’ll use a product you’ve spoke fondly of, a new Tesla Model 3. I still want my gun AND a new car AND a defibrillator. Instead of a Model 3 I buy a Chevy Bolt and use the savings to buy a defibrillator AND gun. Any money left over can go toward hookers with CPR training. > > I’ve solved the safety dilemma facing potential Model 3 buyers. Can we skip all three and just buy hookers with martial arts and CPR training, no need to leave the house. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/70 "2019-02-17T02:22:36Z")
> [@Littleman](#): > > Can we skip all three and just buy hookers with martial arts and CPR training, no need to leave the house. Someone always thinking outside the box. But you left one thing out. She needs to be an Uber driver. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499/71 "2019-02-17T03:44:51Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Someone always thinking outside the box. But you left one thing out. She needs to be an Uber driver. Why would I go anywhere? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-whats-your-plan-for-a-heart-attack/829499.md?page=3)