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The Case for Early
Defibrillation
What is sudden cardiac
arrest?
 Condition in which heart stops abruptly
 Usually caused by ventricular fibrillation
(abnormality in heart’s electrical system)
 Not the same as heart attack
 Results in death if not treated immediately
How common is SCA?
 One of leading causes of death in U.S.
 At least 250,000 suffer SCA each year
 Median age of victim: 65 years, but affects
people of all ages, even teenagers
SCA: a public health crisis
250000
House fire
200000
Prostate cancer
150000
Breast cancer
100000
Car accidents
50000
Sudden cardiac
arrest
0
Annual incidence
How can SCA be treated?
 Ideal treatment for most cases:
 Early CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation) to keep heart viable until
defibrillator arrives
 Early defibrillation (delivery of electrical
shocks with defibrillator)
Why is early defibrillation so
important?
 Chance of survival
from SCA diminish
7-10% with every
minute after collapse
Why is early defibrillation
so important?
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Cardiac
rehab
centers
Chicago
airports
90%
64%
59%
Casino
study
45%
34%
20%
7%
Survival rate
Rochester,
MN
Seattle, WA
National
average
Realistic
target
 Only 7% now survive
 30% or more could
survive in community
settings
 If even 20% survive,
50,000 lives could be
saved each year
Do you have to be medically
trained to use defibrillator?
 No. Automated external
defibrillators (AEDs) are
simple, safe and easy to
use
 Non-medical personnel
can use AEDs with
minimum of training
Who supports increased
access to defibrillation?










American College of Emergency
Physicians
American Heart Association
American Public Health Association
American Red Cross
Canadian Association of Emergency
Physicians
Citizen CPR Foundation
Emergency Care Research Institute
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
International Association of Chiefs of
Police
International Association of Fire Chiefs









International Association of Fire Fighters
International Liaison Committee on
Resuscitation
National Association of EMS Physicians
National Association of State EMS Directors
National Association of State EMS Training
Coordinators, Inc.
National Center for Early Defibrillation
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
National Safety Council
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
Are AED programs
cost-effective?
Chemotherapy
for leukemia
$70,000
$60,000
Cholesterol
lowering drug
$50,000
$40,000
Heart transplant
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
Medical
intervention costs
per year of life
saved
Hypertension
screening,
treatment
Defibrillation
 Cost of first responder
AED programs over
five years: $4,400 to
$8,000 per year of life
saved
 Compares favorably
with costs of other
medical interventions
How you can help your
community prepare for SCA


Make sure local EMS, fire and police are
trained and equipped with defibrillators.
Consider advocating on-site AED
programs in population centers that cannot
be reached by emergency responders in
less than five minutes
How you can help your
community prepare for SCA




Call 911 immediately in the case of
apparent emergencies.
Learn CPR. Encourage your family
members, friends and neighbors to learn
CPR.
Learn how to use an AED.
Remember that the key to survival is
quick action.
How you can help your
community prepare for SCA
 Call
1-866 AED-INFO
or visit
www.early-defib.org
for more information.