Displacement of death in public space by lay people using the automated external defibrillator.
This paper reports on a study where a technology, the Automated External Defibrillator (AED), enables a socially troubling death in public space to be moved to a more acceptable location. This was a qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews with lay (non-medical) people, in a variety of locations, who had been trained to use an AED. The AED, and its use by lay people, means that the time and place of death from heart attack can be changed from a location like a railway station or shopping centre to the ambulance or hospital. Thus the lay people involved can act as what Timmermans (1999) terms 'death brokers'.
Timmons
Stephen
S
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK. Stephen.timmons@nottingham.ac.uk
Crosbie
Brian
B
Harrison-Paul
Russell
R
D001293:Attitude to Death; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047548:Defibrillators / Q000523:psychology* / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000639:trends; D005392:First Aid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011633:Public Facilities; D006113:United Kingdom; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*