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Automated External Defibrillators Can Save Lives During Cardiac Emergencies
Posted on September 19, 2016 at 11:10 PM |
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
improve survival after an out-of-hospital cardiac
arrest. Their presence reduces the critical time for
treatment. Less time to defibrillation improves
victims’ chances of survival. Having the devices
appropriately located in a business or workplace
improves the survivability of people experiencing a
cardiac crisis.
Why should employers make Automated
External Defibrillators available to
employees?
■ There are 300,000-400,000 deaths per year
in the United States from cardiac arrest.
■ Most cardiac arrest deaths occur outside the
hospital. Current out-of-hospital survival rates
are 1 to 5 percent.
■ In 1999 and 2000, 815 of 6,339 workplace
fatalities reported to OSHA were caused by
cardiac arrest.
■ Jobs with shift work, high stress, and exposure
to certain chemicals and electrical hazards
increase the risks of heart disease and cardiac
arrest.
What causes cardiac arrest, and how
does an AED improve survivability?
■ Abnormal heart rhythms, with ventricular
fibrillation (VF) being the most common,
cause cardiac arrest.
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA 3174 (2001)
■ Treatment of VF with immediate electronic
defibrillation can increase survival to more
than 90 percent.
■ With each minute of delay in defibrillation,
10 percent fewer victims survive.
Is AED equipment expensive?
■ The average initial cost for an AED ranges
from $3,000 to $4,500.
Are AEDs difficult to use?
■ AEDs are easy to use. In mock cardiac arrest,
untrained sixth-grade children were able to
use AEDs without difficulty.
■ Automated external defribrillators are effective,
easy to use, and relatively inexpensive.
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