|
|
DATE: August 26, 2004
SAVING A LIFE IS AS SIMPLE AS A-E-D
In the time it takes you to read this article, sudden cardiac arrest will have claimed another victim. In the past year, 250,000 Americans died of sudden cardiac arrest: nearly one death every two minutes. Up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if someone had initiated the Cardiac Chain of Survival, and an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been available for immediate use at the time of the emergency.
An AED is a device about the size of a laptop computer that analyzes the heart's rhythm for any abnormalities and, if necessary, directs the rescuer to deliver an electrical shock to the victim. This shock, called defibrillation, may help the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm of its own. An AED is easy to operate using voice prompts to instruct the rescuer. Training is necessary in order to understand the role of defibrillation in the broader context of the cardiac chain of survival.
AEDs can now be found in many public facilities, and other places where large groups of people gather and the risk of a sudden cardiac arrest incident is very likely. The number of devices in the community will continue to grow as more and more people begin to understand the importance of AEDs and AED training.
The West Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross is offering an AED Essentials class in Scottville on Wednesday, September 1, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. The class is approximately 2 hours long and participants will receive certification cards upon successful completion. Current CPR certification is a mandatory prerequisite for this course. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please contact Sue M. Smalley at (231) 745-4712, (231) 723-2985 or (231) 757-3069 to register or for additional information.
The American Red Cross is a participating agency with The United Way.
|
|
