Today, nearly 1,000 people will experience a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the US. Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops beating. This is different from a heart attack, which is when the blood flow to the heart is blocked or severely reduced. When SCA happens, the person collapses to the ground, doesn’t respond normally, and doesn’t have a pulse. For every minute SCA victims are left without immediate CPR and AED use, their survival rate drops by 10%. However, if CPR is administered right away and maintained until emergency personnel arrive, they have a 60% chance of survival. Additionally, if an AED is used within 3 minutes of SCA, the survival rate increases by over 80%!
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any time. In fact, SCA takes the lives of more than 356,000 people every year in the United States, more than 23,000 of which are under age 18. Not knowing when SCA may happen and to who is one reason why it’s so important to understand how to do CPR and use an AED, and to ensure you have an AED around! It’s recommended to be able to respond with an AED within 3-5 minutes of SCA.
AEDs save lives! This story from the American Heart Association, shows just how important AEDs are when SCA happens. “A 62-year-old employee of a coatings, glass, and chemical manufacturer suffered a sudden cardiac arrest after walking up the stairs to her office. Employees in the next office heard her fall and notified the plant emergency response team. She was defibrillated and saved in less than 2 minutes. EMS personnel then arrived to transport her to the hospital. She sent a note to the company after her discharge from the hospital saying she had "no doubt that headquarters spent money wisely.””
Is your facility equipped with what it needs to save a life? Shop all our ZOLL AED’s!
Is your team ready? Schedule CPR and AED training for your team today!
