AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED)

FOR THE ORDINARY PERSON IN THE EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT

Each year sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes approximately a quarter million people in the U.S. alone. The majority of these people have no warning, since they show no prior symptoms. And, sadly, f ewer than 5% survive, often because emergency medical services cannot reach them in time. When SCA strikes, seconds mean the difference between life and death. With each minute of elapsed time before defibrillation, the survival rate of the victim diminishes by 10 percent.


Thanks to an easy-to-use, portable device called an AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) and training from the American Red Cross of Camden County, ordinary people can be lifesavers. When sudden cardiac arrest strikes, the electrical system of the heart short circuits, most often causing an abnormal rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation. Lacking proper blood flow, the person loses consciousness, stops breathing, and will die unless promptly treated. CPR can help a person in cardiac arrest, but it alone cannot save lives. A "shock" from a defibrillator is needed to restore the heart's normal pumping rhythm. A victim's best chance of surviving SCA is to receive that shock within 5 minutes of collapse. Immediate use of an AED, in conjunctin with CPR, could save up to 50,000 lives a year.

American Red Cross AED training teaches participants how to respond to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Participants will learn how today's AED's are easy to use, thereby minimizing response anxiety.


CREATE A SAFER WORKPLACE. SHOW YOUR CONCERN FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act provides Good Samaritan protection to lay AED users. Many companies have acquired the lates AED technology to bring their employees this critical safety advantage. For about the price of a laptop computer, your employees will be prepared to save the life of a co-worker, a customer, or anyone else who suffers sudden cardiac arrest at your facility.


CREATE A COMPLETE AED PROGRAM
The American Red Cross of Camden County can assist you in every phase of creating an AED program:
-Training your employees in CPR, first aid and AED skills
-Facilitating the purchase of an AED
-Providing information on developing or upgrading emergency procedures

Please contact Donna Gamble at 856-365-7100 x 225 or via e-mail at
gambled@usa.redcross.org to find out more about purchasing an AED for your office!