In Pursuit of AED Incident Data: Nick Bogle’s Story

Nick Bogle’s Story

I first have to say that my story has nothing to do with anything I did or accomplished but rather God’s mercy and the people He put around me that day who saved my life. My name is Nick, and I am 64 years old. I live in Milton, GA, a northern suburb of Atlanta, with my wife Natalie. We have 2 adult children and one recently born grandchild – another powerful reminder of how blessed I am to be alive. Playing soccer has been a passion of mine all my life and I still play 3-4 times per week in a men’s league in my area.

Surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest

My experience with Sudden Cardiac Arrest took place on February 4, 2023. Like most Saturdays, I was at the soccer fields for a morning ‘scrimmage’. As I was walking by the restroom, I collapsed with no warning signs. Apparently, I exhibited seizure movements on the ground before I stopped breathing. Two of my fellow soccer players happened to be up at the restrooms at the time of my collapse. One was an ER doctor and the other, a retired fire chief. 

Miraculously, they were inspecting the AED machine in the ladies restroom when it happened.  

Within 3 minutes, my pulse was checked, CPR was started, and the AED was applied. I received one shock and regained consciousness. Emergency services arrived over 15 minutes after 911 was called. My first memory was waking up in the ambulance wondering what in the world had happened.
So many miracles happened that day for me. From where and when I collapsed, to who was around me and, of course, the AED equipment that was readily available and operational. The fact that I was able to be resuscitated so quickly is why I made a swift and full recovery. Without it, I know my story could have turned out much differently. This is where my passion for AED advocacy lies.

AEDs: The Lifesaving Therapy

Currently, survival rates for SCA remain at the 10% level. I know there are a lot of contributing factors, but I believe we can do much better. By raising awareness of this very prevalent killer, training more people in the use of CPR and AEDs and making AEDs more readily accessible everywhere, I believe that more people who experience SCA can be given the same chance at a positive outcome that I had. I believe the fact that an AED was within a stones throw of where I collapsed and that someone there knew how and was willing to use it made all the difference in my survival and recovery. CPR alone could have kept blood flowing to my brain until EMS arrived, but I might have experienced cognitive damage that could have potentially disabled me for the rest of my life. As far as I have read, only an AED can restart a heartbeat.

Quest for the AED’s Incident Data & Intro to Avive

After my SCA event and recovery, I started reading and exploring what information was available that would help me confirm or better understand what caused this to happen. I learned that the AED machine used on me contained vital info pre and post defibrillation. I then tried to find someone who could help download the information off the machine. That became a journey unto itself, but it was through that process I was introduced to Micah Bongberg from Avive who put me in touch with a local contact willing to help.

The challenges with obtaining this data were many, and they proved insurmountable in the end. First, by the time I learned there was important information on the machine, it was months after the event. The next challenge was getting someone to help me retrieve the information. I eventually found an AED rep who had no association with my machine but sold the same equipment and was willing to help. Then, we had to locate the AED that was used on me because it had been serviced and subsequently moved after my event. We then needed permission to take the equipment off the facility for a few hours so the information could be downloaded from the machine at a local office. 

After getting approvals and going through this process, the machine had no information on it. It was either the wrong machine or the information had been erased. At this point, I gave up trying.

Avive’s Quick Incident Data Retrieval

Based on what I have seen, the Avive Connect AED® is the only AED machine that can deliver real-time incident data to hospitals through its connectivity platform, REALConnect™. I think this is potentially a huge advancement in SCA patient care, and I wish my doctors had that access. 

Let me first say my in-hospital care was fantastic, and I am eternally grateful for the doctors and nurses who treated me so well. I am not a doctor, so I don’t want to say anything definitive, but I do believe doctors getting real time access to incident data could help with their analysis and diagnosis and potentially even treatment. This was especially relevant for me and why I pushed so hard to retrieve the data.

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Why is AED Incident Data Important?

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As a patient dealing with life and death decisions about your future, you want to know that the doctors have every tool and bit of information available to them. I think getting the incident data pre and post event off the AED and into the hands of the doctors should be standard protocol. If it can get there in real time as the patient arrives at the hospital, then even better. My experience shows how difficult this is to accomplish under current conditions.

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About the Author

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