Did you catch this article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal?

It’s all about how AEDs — standard equipment on airplanes and in airports, casinos, health clubs and many public buildings — aren’t often found in hotels. Why not? Concerns about liability.

But as Maureen O’Connor, a public-access defibrillation program manager in San Diego says, “At a five-star hotel, are they really giving the best service they can to their guests if they don’t have an AED?”

The article contains helpful information about Good Samaritan laws, which provide legal protection for people making a good faith effort to render assistance, and mentions that some hotels that have AEDs have seen impressive results. For example, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, six of seven people who suffered sudden cardiac arrest in the past five years have been saved with AEDs.

And, FYI, there’s also an interesting blog post in response to the article.

So what do you think about all of this? Would you prefer to stay at a hotel with an AED? Have you ever spotted one in a Portland-area hotel?

Bottom line: If you frequent hotels, you might want to learn CPR just in case you need to save someone’s life. There might not be an AED there to help.