National CPR/ AED Awareness Week is June 1-7 and spotlights how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED.
Why should you know how to do CPR and use an AED??
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
•Almost 300,000 casualties of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are treated each year in the U.S.
•Less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive.
CPR
•Less than one-third of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest casualties receive bystander CPR.
•Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
•Unless CPR and defibrillation are provided within minutes of collapse, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.
•Even if CPR is performed, defibrillation with an AED is required to stop the abnormal rhythm and restore a normal heart rhythm.
•New technology has made AEDs simple and user-friendly. Clear audio and visual cues tell users what to do when using an AED and coach people through CPR. A shock is delivered only if the victim needs it.
For more information visit:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CPR_UCM_001118_SubHomePage.jsp