Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Saves Lives Daily
Posted On:
11/11/2011 10:40:49 AM
“There were two on, one out, and we were down by five – I remember it like it was yesterday. The team had really started to come on strong and then slam, the pitcher collapsed falling face first into the dirt.”
The men’s softball game Andy Hughes, a Registered Nurse, described still affects him. Though he has been trained to be calm under pressure, many out there that day were not as composed. Some stood frozen in fear, while others rushed to the heart attack victim not knowing what to do next. The number 9-1-1 is etched in most everyone’s brain, but before the paramedics get there what do you do?
Without hesitation, Hughes called for the AED device located in the office of the sports complex while administering CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). The Automated External Defibrillator can be used by anyone because the machine helps assess the situation and talks you through how and if it should be used. Even if you have minimal or no training, the AED helps you figure out what to do next.
According to statistics provided by the American Heart Association, after approximately three to five minutes, irreversible brain/tissue damage may begin to occur. For every minute that a person in cardiac arrest goes without being successfully treated (by defibrillation), the chance of survival decreases by seven (7) percent per minute in the first minutes, and decreases by 10 percent per minute as time advances beyond approximately three (3) minutes.
“As the AED walked everyone through the process, we re-established a heartbeat and the paramedics said ‘without a doubt it saved his life.’ If we didn’t have this at our disposal, I’m not sure what would have happened.”
While the victim seemed to be in decent health from a distance, his heart was a ticking time bomb. After the ambulance transported him to the hospital, he underwent quintuple bypass surgery. However, if he hadn’t been stabilized at the field, his chances for reaching the hospital would have decreased significantly.
According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, application of an AED in communities is associated with nearly a doubling of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This stat is impressive, but the most important thing is an AED was available and a life was saved.
This advancement in technology is needed everywhere because you never know when a heart attack will strike. Life is precious and preparation for any situation is vital to preserving it. Get an AED, have someone be trained on its use, and get CPR certified today.
Find more information at
resqtraining.com. Contact us at 317.786.7260 or
info@resqtraining.com.
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