Sudden Cardiac Arrest, How Your Organization Prepare For It?

Many people still think providing CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) is enough until the emergency medical services (EMS) team arrives. It is not. Although CPR helps maintain blood flow to he brain and heart, defibrillation is the only definitive treatment for SCA (sudden cardiac arrest), and the sooner the better. 

Compelling facts to know about SCA and possible survival from this deadly condition:

The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that nearly 300,000 sudden deaths due to SCA occur each year in the U.S. alone

Nearly 13% of these deaths occur in the workplace

AHA recommends defibrillation within 3 minutes of collapse, as early defibrillation provides the best possibility of survival for the victim

Although not everyone can be saved from SCA, studies show that early defibrillation can dramatically improve survival rates. Survival rates as high as 74% have been achieved when defibrillation is provided within three minutes of collapse

A study of public access defibrillation (PAD) programs showed that communities with volunteers trained in CPR and the use of AEDs had twice as many victims survice compared to communities with volunteers trained only in CPR

EMS crews can be delayed by multiple calls, traffic and other variables. In fact, the average response time for EMS arrival on the scene is 8 to 10 minutes. For detailed, please click here