Learn How to Save a Life During National CPR-AED Awareness Week, June 1-7
In December of 2007, Congress declared the first week of June each year as National CPR/AED Awareness Week. National CPR/AED Awareness Week is an annual effort to increase the number of people certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and trained to use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).
According to the AHA there is a 95 percent mortality rate for over 300,000 Americans who are victims of sudden cardiac arrest each year. It is also estimated that on average it takes 8 to 10 minutes for first responders (9-1-1) to reach a victim.
Why is this important? The reason that this is so important is because after four minutes without oxygen going to your brain it will begin to die. After eight minutes it becomes the point of no return, irreversible brain death begins to occur. So even if the heart is restarted, the damage after eight minutes can never come back. This is why we need people to do CPR.
In cases where CPR is performed immediately, this risk is cut in half. Victims’ chances of survival decrease by 7 to 10 percent each minute that they go untreated after their heart stops, so bystanders’ knowledge of CPR is often a matter of life or death.
Survival rates for individuals with ventricular fibrillation treated by AEDs have been reported between 0% and 31%. Comparatively, the survival rates for performing basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) alone are reported between 0% and 6%. Theoretically, even more lives could be saved if members of the general public could obtain early access to and have training in the use of AEDs and CPR.
To find a training class near you, contact your local hospital, fire department or emergency medical services or contact one of the training organizations listed below:
- American Heart Association: www.heart.org
- American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
