NHW readers know that children can safely operate a defibrillator in case of a heart emergency. Now, a new study suggests that young people can help save lives when stroke strikes, too.

Implanting defibrillators in young people with genetic heart disorders but no history of sudden cardiac arrest is a good investment, according to a recently published study.

Sudden cardiac arrest after being hit in the chest by a ball--a rare but usually fatal condition called commotio cordis--almost always happens in children. But while many colleges and high schools have AEDs, not many grade schools do.

Italian researchers report that nearly 2,200 volunteers used AEDs safely and effectively during the two-year Brescia Early Defibrillation Study. Fully operated by nonmedical personnel, the public health program in Brescia--a province in Italy roughly the size of Delaware--distributed 49 AEDs in public places.

A new defibrillator is FDA-approved specifically to help save people who suffer cardiac arrest at home. When turned on, the HeartStart Home Defibrillator, manufactured by Philips Medical Systems, gives step-by-step directions on how to place the chest electrodes correctly and provides coaching for adult and child CPR, if needed.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: In reviewing the National Center for Early Defibrillation Web site, it looks like the intended users of AEDs in Indiana need to be "certified" in the use of the devices and in CPR. Can you imagine--standing by while a loved one has a sudden cardiac arrest because you weren't "certified"! I think common sense is underrated.

More than a hundred neighbors and community leaders--including the mayor of Indianapolis, Bart Peterson-celebrated the launch of the first Neighborhood Heart Watch program in the country. Residents of the Wynnedale village in Indianapolis gathered in the Children's Better Health Fitness Farm Scholarship Hall, also located in Wynnedale, to learn about the new lifesaving initiative.

Dr. Douglas Zipes, chairman of cardiology at Indiana University, has proposed placing a defibrillator in every neighborhood throughout the United States. The concept, called "Neighborhood Heart Watch," is similar to initiatives such as the Crime Watch and volunteer firefighter programs already in place.