Making the Case for Early Defibrillation

Answers to your frequently asked questions

We have answered hundreds of questions about community AED programs, from researchers, the media and especially from public safety champions who are seeking the facts as they explore ways to create a program of their own. Here are some common examples.

What is sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart stops abruptly, without warning. This is usually caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF), an abnormality in the heart’s electrical system. SCA results in death if not treated immediately.

How common is sudden cardiac arrest?
SCA is one of the leading causes of death among adults in the U.S. More than 220,000 people suffer SCA each year - and new statistics from the Centers for Disease Control indicate this number may be vastly higher, with as many as 450,000 people affected in a year. The median age for SCA victims is 65, but it commonly affects people in their 30s and 40s - even teenagers - who may be otherwise fit and healthy.

How is sudden cardiac arrest treated?
The ideal treatment for most cases of SCA is immediate delivery of electrical shocks with a defibrillator. If a defibrillator is not immediately available, prompt provision of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can help keep the heart viable until the defibrillator arrives.

Why is early defibrillation so important?
On average, only seven percent of SCA victims survive. However, research indicates that 20 to 45 percent or more could survive if they were treated quickly enough with defibrillators. If even 20 percent could survive, as many as 50,000 lives could be saved each year.
For every minute that elapses after SCA, the chances of survival diminish seven to ten percent. If a victim can be treated with a defibrillator immediately, the chances for survival are close to 90 percent. If the victim is not treated until ten minutes after collapse, the chances for survival approach zero.
Numerous studies demonstrate that it does not matter who carries the defibrillator as long as it gets to the victim’s side quickly. Figure 1 compares survival rates in several settings using different early defibrillation strategies. These rates are compared with the national average and a moderate target survival rate of 20 percent.

Figure 1

Do you have to be medically trained?
Not anymore. While manual defibrillators, the kind used in hospitals and by paramedics, require extensive training, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) do not. AEDs are simple, safe and easy to use. If likely responders (e.g., police officers, security guards, hotel staff, athletic trainers, airline attendants) can be identified, a brief CPR-AED training course (about three to four hours) is recommended. However, AEDs are so simple and intuitive they have been used successfully by untrained bystanders when placed in locations readily accessible public locations.

Who supports AED programs?
The idea of widespread access to defibrillation within organized community response systems is supported by numerous national health organizations and governmental bodies. (Click here to view position statements from various organizations.) State and federal laws now provide legal liability protection for individuals who use AEDs in good faith to help save lives. In fact, legal experts now say that the standard of care is such that lawsuits are more likely if AEDs are not available when they should be.