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AEDs are life-saving technology for battling Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
SUDDEN cardiac arrest (SCA) is an abrupt disruption of the heart's function that causes lack of blood flow to vital organs. This lack of blood flow results in loss of blood pressure, pulse, and consciousness. Most commonly, SCA is caused by a type of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) called ventricular fibrillation, or VF.
According to the American Heart Association, SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming more than one-quarter of a million victims each year (2003 Statistics, www.americanheart.org). There are more deaths each year from SCA than from breast cancer, prostate cancer, AIDS, house fires, handguns, and traffic accidents combined.
OSHA states that approximately 400 workplace deaths from cardiac arrest are reported annually. OSHA believes employers should consider use of automated external defibrillators at their work sites to reduce the time to defibrillation, with the goal of improving survival. Workers who are involved in shiftwork, hold high-stress jobs, or are exposed to certain chemicals or electrical hazards face a higher risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest, which means they could become SCA victims. The only way to help such a victim is with good cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation.
If it is required, the earlier that defibrillation is administered, the better. Time is the most important factor with SCA. With every passing minute, an SCA victim's survival rate decreases by about 10 percent, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), which estimates early defibrillation could raise survival rates 20 percent or more. Making it possible for infrequent rescuers to rapidly administer defibrillation, therefore, could save more than 40,000 lives a year in the United States alone.
Following the Chain of Survival
To make early defibrillation possible, AHA advocates placing AEDs in targeted public areas, as well as workplaces, so infrequent rescuers can assist victims before trained medical professionals arrive. An AED is a portable device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, allows a rescuer to deliver an electric shock to an SCA victim. This shock, called defibrillation, may halt the rapid and chaotic heart activity of SCA and help the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm of its own.
While early defibrillation is important to help SCA victims, early CPR is often overlooked. Both defibrillation and CPR are vital links in the Chain of Survival. The chain addresses the fact that most SCA occurs outside of a hospital, with death often occurring within minutes of onset. The chain includes Early Access, Early CPR, Early Defibrillation, and Early Advanced Care.
Every step helps to save lives. Any break in the chain compromises survival. Remembering and following every step in the Chain of Survival is the best way to increase the chance of saving SCA victims. Put simply, an AED--combined with the Chain of Survival--may save a life. Knowing how and when to use AEDs, anyone can be prepared to deal with SCA in the first vital minutes, when critical, decisive action can help victims the most.
When a victim collapses from SCA, rescuers do not know whether defibrillation or CPR is appropriate until an AED is attached and the victim's heart is analyzed. About half of all collapsed victims initially require defibrillation. For other victims, however, who may have non-shockable heart rhythms, the critical action is effective CPR. While roughly half of unresponsive victims need defibrillation, every one of them needs temporary circulatory support with CPR.
