FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What is CPR?
- What are AED's?
- Can I use an AED?
- Are AED's effective?
What is CPR? - Top
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped. CPR involves a combination of chest compression and mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing that keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until more definitive medical treatment can restore a normal heart rhythm.
When the heart stops, the absence of oxygenated blood can cause irreparable brain damage in only a few minutes. Death will occur within eight to 10 minutes. Time is critical when you're helping an unconscious person who isn't breathing.
To learn CPR properly, take an accredited first-aid training course, including CPR and how to use an automatic external defibrillator (AED).
What are AED’s? - Top
An Automated External Defibrillator is a device that can be attached to your chest. It senses your heart’s rhythm during cardiac arrest and, in some cases, delivers and electric shock to get your heart beating again.
Cardiac arrest most commonly occurs when your heart’s electrical activity becomes disrupted and the heart beat becomes dangerously fast (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation). Because of this irregular heart rhythm, your heart stops beating effectively and can’t adequately pump blood.
During cardiac arrest, your brain and other vital organs quickly become starved of blood and life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients it carries. You could die within a few minutes, or if you survive, you may sustain permanent damage to your brain and other organs. The sooner your heart’s rhythm is restored, the better, since each minute is critical to determining your chance of survival and how much damage you might have.
If an Automated External Defibrillator is on hand, a trained employee could grab it and easily connect it to the victim’s chest to evaluate the heart rhythm. If the heart rhythm can be treated with an electrical shock, the AED automatically sends a current to the heart muscle. That jolt can reset the heart back into a normal rhythm, possibly saving a life.
Can I use an AED? - Top
The answer is YES. AED’s are designed specifically for the first responder at an emergency…typically a lay person. Early defibrillation is the key link to survival. You can now safe a life of a sudden cardiac arrest victim in your work place, community, or home by following the four simple steps of the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival.
- EARLY ACCESS to medical care by calling 911.
- EARLY CPR to help circulate oxygen to the victim’s heart and brain.
- EARLY DEFIBRILLATION shocks to restore a normal heart rhythm.
- EARLY ADVANCED CARE provided by paramedics.
Are AED’s Effective? - Top
Again, the answer is yes. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine proves a reassuring message: Persons with minimal training can successfully use simple, portable defibrillations devices (AED’s) in public or private places to save lives that might otherwise be lost to sudden cardiac arrest. Cities who have placed AED’s in prominent, accessible, and attainable locations resulted in an average sudden cardiac arrest survival rate of about 53 percent. If defibrillated within 3 minutes, survival rates increased to an amazing 74 percent.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Taking the time now to prepare yourself before an emergency occurs will go a long way towards ensuring confidence in your ability to potentially save a life.
Top |
