It’s no secret that we believe in spreading awareness of the
importance of AEDs here at AEDs Today. This isn’t just our business. It’s
something we believe in.
But AEDs aren’t the only things that are needed to save a
person’s life if they are stricken with sudden cardiac arrest. Even when an AED
is present, it’s still very important that CPR be performed.
That’s the driving force behind National CPR/AED Awareness
Week, which runs from June 1-7.
For those of you who have never taken one, this is the
perfect week for you to take a CPR class. Or, if you’re already certified,
consider taking a refresher course. The Red Cross has provided this
tool for finding a class near you.
But even if you just don’t have the time for training (you
should really make time, though), you can still learn a skill that could help
you save a life one day.
The American Heart Association has been working to raise
awareness of “Hands-Only”
CPR, a simplified version of CPR that can still be very effective.
This type of CPR is much easier to learn that regular CPR,
so more people can feel comfortable performing it in an emergency. It can more
than double a victim’s chance of survival.
Check out this video on how it works:
As you can see, it’s very easy to learn. You just push on
the victims chest at a rate of 100 beats per minute. For those of you who aren’t
human metronomes, just push to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive.”
We’ve already talked a lot about the importance of AEDs, but
here are some fast facts for you:
- The survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is less
than 5% without an AED. It rises to 90% if an AED is used within the first
minute.
- For
every minute that passes without defibrillation, the survival rate decreases by
7-10%.
-
30-50% of SCA victims could have been saved if an AED has been used within the
first five minutes.
- All
AED devices have voice prompts, enabling untrained bystanders to easily
administer therapy with an AED.
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