Defibrillators already are used by trained professionals in many Tristate police and fire departments. Delta is among airlines training flight attendants to operate the units in flight. Sudden cardiac arrest kills about 1,500 people in Greater Cincinnati each year. More than 95 percent of the 1,000 Americans who suffer from cardiac arrest each day die before reaching the hospital. In many cases, death occurs because life-saving defibrillators arrive on the scene too late, if at all, the Heart Association says.
Defibrillation is most successful if used within three minutes of a cardiac arrest.
In Cincinnati, emergency medical officials reach cardiac arrest patients about 8.5 minutes from the time 911 officials get the call. About 7 percent of victims are saved, says Dr. Michael Sayre, assistant professor of emergency medicine at UC's College of Medicine. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, but men in their 60s are most prone to be victims. Many victims have no history of heart disease, or the underlying ailment has not affected their lives. Since December 1997, when Grand Victoria Casino put a defibrillator on its riverboat and another on land, workers have used the devices on seven patients.