In response to the Community Cardiac Response Project and to be prepared in the event of a cardiac emergency at the Center the EH&S department has placed a Phillips HeartStart Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the front lobby of the main laboratory research building (#114). As most of us know an AED is an electronic device that delivers a pre selected shock to a victim with the hopes that it will restore the rhythm of a fibrillating heart. When an adult experiences a heart attack it often becomes a sudden cardiac arrest (abrupt onset of loss of heart function), the heart most often goes into uncoordinated electrical activity called ventricular fibrillation. During this condition the heart can't pump blood effectively and death can occur within minutes. For every minute that passes without defibrillation of a heart in ventricular fibrillation, a victim's chance of survival decreases up to 10%, therefore, the faster the response time, the greater the victim's chance of survival. An AED contains a microprocessor that analyzes and detects this type of heart rhythm, judges whether defibrillation is needed, and may recommend a shock be delivered. The shock stuns the heart muscle, which gives it the opportunity to resume beating effectively.
The foundation of a good CPR/AED Response Program is training for in-house responders who will operate an AED in the event of a medical emergency. There are currently 22 staff members (approximately 1 in 4 of all staff.) have been trained in the American Heart Association's BLS Heartsaver adult CPR and AED program. The Environmental Health & Safety department offers this training on scheduled intervals to any Center employee interested in becoming an AED responder. If you are interested in this training, please contact the EH&S section at acary@uckac.edu
For an online demonstration of how the Phillips HeartStart works and where it fits into the Chain of Survival, visit the following Philips online demo at: http://www.medical.philips.com/main/products/resuscitation/products/fr2plus/fr2plus_demo.asp
AEDs can save lives.