You may be tired of all the heart health promotions occurring this month (February being heart health month) but with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) a leading cause of death in the U.S. claiming an estimated 325,000 lives each year – 7,000 of those are children — you may want to pay attention. Currently an estimated 95% of cardiac arrest victims die before they reach a hospital (or other source of emergency medical help), but automated external defibrillators are now cost effective enough for any public, commercial building or home and can save a life within minutes of sudden cardiac arrest happening.
For every minute ventricular fibrillation (another term for sudden cardiac arrest) occurs without treatment, the chances of resuscitation decrease by 10 percent; after 10 minutes without treatment very few people survive. With the average response time for emergency vehicles and personnel at about 6 minutes to mid-size urban communities, it is easy to understand how quickly chances of survival diminish. Recognizing the live saving abilities of automated external defibrillators , numerous states have passed legislation requiring AEDs to be present in public buildings.
The American Heart Association advises businesses follow the “3-minute rule”: which means you should be able to walk briskly from your work station to the closest AED and bring it to the cardiac arrest victim within 3 minutes. Any place of business, large or small, should have automatic external defibrillators near employees.
Businesses aren’t the only places that should have external defibrillators, though. An author with Pediatric Clinics of North America reports that as many as 7,000 children are struck down by sudden cardiac arrest each year. AEDs are now cost effective enough for families to purchase them and have one at home for emergencies (many home owner associations purchase automated external defibrillators to be put in the community clubhouse or pool area).
There are numerous AEDs currently on the market. One of the most affordable defibrillation solutions is the First Voice SET System with First Voice EID, which won the 2006 SafetyXChange Best New Safety Product Award. Philips is one of the leading AED brands, and their products are designed to be used easily by virtually anyone. More information on the best AED products can be found here.
Do you work in an office with an AED? Is there an AED at your child’s day care? Automated external defibrillators save lives daily across the country, and should someone you love be struck by cardiac arrest you’ll want it to happen within a 3 minute walk of an AED. Read additional information on AEDs here, and share it with others (your boss and day care provider for starters) or buy an automated external defibrillator from ActiveForever.com today.
