Interesting AED Facts13% of workplace fatalities are from sudden cardiac arrest.
The likelihood of successful resuscitation decreases by about 10% with every minute that passes.
34% of those who have implemented an AED program have used their AED at least once in order to help save a life.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest kills more people than car wrecks, cancer, handguns, house fires and AIDS combined.
On an average day in the United States 1,000 adults die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a total of 350,000 per year. SCA is the result of an arrhythmia, where the electrical pulse of the heart goes out of control, causing the heart to quiver. Doctors don’t understand why this happens, but they do know that shocking the fibrillating heart is the only effective treatment.
The American Heart Association estimates that 20,000 to 100,000 SCA deaths could be prevented each year if defibrillation was readily available. Electrical shock restores a heartbeat and circulation, but to survive neurologically intact, rescue must be swift.
Defibrillation within the first minute of sudden cardiac arrest can save the lives of up to 90% of its victims. However, with each minute of delay until defibrillation, the survival rate drops by 10% (American Heart Association)
Even the very best EMS systems experience delays from heavy traffic, secured buildings, gated communities, large building complexes and high-rises. In New York City, where emergency response teams fight extreme traffic, the average arrival time for emergency vehicles is about 12 minutes. The cardiac arrest survival rate there is less than 2 percent.
References:
American College of Emergency Physicians
First Aid Manual Copyright 2002 DK Publishing, Inc.
American Heart Association. 2004 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update. Dallas,Texas:American Heart Association, 2004
American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), August 2003
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