Metro is Buying Defibrillators From Firm With Past Problems

Metro government agreed to buy $50,000 worth of life-saving equipment from a California firm whose heart-shocking devices have failed in the past during emergencies, federal documents and interviews show. Cardiac Science manufactures automatic external defibrillators that are used to treat sudden heart attacks. The devices are deployed in public settings, such as airports and malls, and allow novices to use electrical paddles to revive patients' hearts until trained help arrives. FDA officials warned the company last year over failure to document malfunctions, including charging problems that sometimes rendered the defibrillators unusable.

Tennessean.com (http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/05/01/65525097.shtml?Element_ID=65525097)