Because early defibrillation could be life saving, one treatment strategy is to provide defibrillation as quickly as possible. You may have seen AEDs in public facilities such as airports. Our area is one of 25 sites in a national project to study this question. Volunteers will be trained to recognize cardiac arrest, call 911, and perform CPR while awaiting the arrival of the emergency medical team. Participants will benefit from training in the recognition and early treatment of sudden cardiac arrest victims, with the greatest potential benefit being an improved survival rate.
Early defibrillation saves lives.
Automatic external defibrillators work well and are increasingly being used outside the traditional settings of emergency care. Questions still remain, however, as to where and how AEDs should be deployed, whether the public can use them effectively, and the cost to society of their broad use. For comments or questions, call 481-9406.