Alsace. Heart attack: 200 Geohearts deployed in the region to save lives

It's a simple green box, placed next to a defibrillator, which can "triple the chances of survival in the event of cardiac arrest." In Kefenach, the Géocœur hangs in the town hall annex. In Hirsingue, on a wall of the Dorfhus . In Wittenheim, near the media library, not far from the music school... In each case, the busiest streets in the towns were chosen.

Conceived by Frédéric Leybold, a Moselle intensive care nurse, the Géocœur aims to alert residents near an automated external defibrillator (AED) to enable them to quickly respond to a victim. 400 are installed in France, 80% of which are in the Grand Est region. The Alsace Moselle local health insurance scheme has just funded 200 of these devices (at a rate of €1,000 per unit) for the benefit of the two Alsatian departments.

The Géocœur panel is directly connected to the Samu (emergency medical services) and fire and rescue services. In the event of cardiac arrest , a green and red flashing light is activated and a voice – that of Dr. Derek in the television series Grey's Anatomy – alerts passersby: "Cardiac arrest nearby. We need you. Scan the QR code to find out where to take the defibrillator." "Without having ever heard of this device, we understand how it works," emphasizes the inventor, who won the President of the Republic's prize at the Lépine competition in 2022. The passerby can then choose whether or not to intervene. "We are not replacing emergency services. We are there to intervene before they arrive."

To create this device, the intensive care nurse started from several observations. " Defibrillators, installed in all public facilities, are very rarely used . 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home. Relatives who witness the scene are stressed and are not in a condition to go and get an AED," explains Frédéric Leybold. "Here, we take advantage of the people who are nearby. They don't have to go and get it, just bring it. We save a journey," and therefore precious minutes in the event of cardiac arrest. Because this is another point raised by the intensive care nurse: "Emergency services often arrive too late. After five minutes of cardiac arrest, the patient has irreversible neurological after-effects. After 10, the prognosis is vital. It's Mr. and Mrs. Average who can save lives."

In recent months, the Moselle man, who founded the Hekatech company in 2022, which markets Géocœur, has approached all the mayors of Alsatian municipalities. 109 devices have already found buyers. In Eckbolsheim, it has been on the facade of the town hall since June. "We only had to create an electrical connection. The cost is minimal and it's a real plus for our municipality, which complements the Staying alive and Sauv Life applications. The system seems effective and easy to use," says Benjamin Héberlé, director general of services for the municipality. "Not only does it make the defibrillators visible—we rarely know where they are—but it also allows citizens to save lives," adds Alexandre Feltz, deputy mayor of Strasbourg in charge of public and environmental health. Ten will be deployed in the coming weeks across the city.

Ninety-one facilities still remain "to be filled (*). In a year and a half, more than 100 interventions have been carried out thanks to Géocœur. Frédéric Leybold's team will also soon organize webinars to introduce the population to first aid.

(*) Interested municipalities can send an email to [email protected]