4th Annual National AED/CPR Awareness Week

June 2011 marks the fourth (4th) National AED/CPR Awareness Week. Being prepared for emergencies including Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is important as it is the nation’s largest killer. SCA kills more people annually than AIDS, breast cancer and strokes.

Over 300,000 people die annually from SCA and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is the best life insurance policy anyone can buy, increasing survival rates from 10% to over 60% — IF an AED is used within the first 2-4 minutes after a victim suffers from SCA and collapses.

To learn more about special promotions going on during June at Think Safe and with Think Safe dealers please contact us at: 888-473-1777 and mention Ad Code Blog0102.

The key to being prepared is… being prepared! Preparedness does not cost thousands, the price is very affordable! Call us for more details today at 888-473-1777.

PS – Are you a school or nonprofit in need of funding options? http://www.firstvoice.us/Funding/tabid/485/Default.aspx (visit our funding web link today to get prepared for tomorrow)

One Mom’s Story….

In May Think Safe received the following letter requesting assistance from a mom….. This is being reprinted with the permission of this mother in an effort to help others understand that Sudden Cardiac Arrest does affect children in the U.S. as well as adults.

Hello my name is Corinne Ruiz.

Olivia Ruiz' Last School Picture

April 22, 2004, my 14 year old daughter Olivia died from sudden cardiac arrest.  Olivia was on life support for ten days. After ten days, we were told that Olivia had no brain activity. We were left with a very painful decision to remove our daughter from the breathing machine.

April 22nd, it was six years since the death of my daughter. Not a day goes by that I don’t ask myself, “If only I had known about Long QT Syndrome/Sudden Cardiac Arrest and AEDs”. Maybe, just maybe Olivia would be alive today.

I and many other families who have lost children to Sudden Cardiac Arrest are now their voice. We are dedicated to protecting our youth from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and preventable Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). Unfortunately, where I live, xxx, very little is known about SCA in our youth.  I was quite surprised to find out that Olivia’s High School, xxx, didn’t have an AED on campus.

It’s time to make a difference, speak out, with the hope of saving others.  I plan on promoting SCA awareness in my community.  I have written letters to our community leaders to see if they have implemented community Public Access Defibrillation programs. I have contacted my local state representative, senators regarding the Josh Miller Hearts Act, which would provide a pool of grant money for school districts to use to purchase AED’s. If this passes, it would make mandating AED’s in [state xx] easier because it would offset a large portion of the start-up costs. I have written letters to our senators on behalf of the American Hearth Association supporting SB 1281.

I am a mom who is now left with:

• If only I had known that I had options..
• If only I had been told that there are screening tests or preventative treatments..
• If only I had known that my daughter looked normal but her heart wasn’t..
• If only I had known that an AED could give my daughter another chance..
• …then maybe I wouldn’t have lost my Olivia..

I hope after reading my story, you will find it in your heart to donate an AED to XX High School, in memory of my daughter, Olivia. I am not a politician nor am I an expert in the medical field, I am Olivia’s mom.  A mom who will not let her daughter’s death be in vain.

Thanking you in advance for your support.

Since that date, Corrine has been crucial in placing an AED at this school and is crucial in helping to place others in the surrounding area. Think Safe is proud to be of assistance in making this happen as well. We can provide funding solutions!

Each year 10,000 to 15,000 or more children die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest, just like Olivia – due to a fatal accident or undiagnosed medical condition.

For educational materials on SCA, grant or fund raising assistance or special school packages please contact the technical experts at Think Safe, 888-473-1777 or info@think-safe.com.  Let’s make schools an even safer place for our children!

Why do we need AEDs at work or in public areas?

Why are AEDs being mandated and required or “expected” as a standard of care in many places?

We are talking about the nation’s leading killer; killing more people than strokes, AIDS and breast cancer in the US annually.  Each year, more than 300,000 Americans experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside of a hospital. SCA affects people of all ages and with many types of heart problems, but occurs most commonly in adults with coronary artery disease, and so it will only become more common as America ages.

On average in the U.S., just 6.4% of SCA victims survive. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) take chances of survival to over 65%. In fact, early defibrillation (within 2-4 minutes ideally) with CPR is the only way to restore the SCA victim’s heart rhythm to normal. For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chances of survival decrease by around 10%. However, there are not enough AEDs and persons trained in using AEDs and performing CPR to provide this life-saving treatment, resulting in lost opportunities to save more lives. Tragically, 64% of Americans have never even seen an AED. AED PROGRAMS CAN AND DO IMPROVE SURVIVAL RATES.   Communities with comprehensive AED programs that include training of anticipated rescuers in both CPR and AED use have achieved survival rates of 65 percent or higher. Making AEDs more available to lay responders trained in their use saves lives; remember that these are proven to be easy to use and fail-proof FDA approved public use devices.

Why should I be a champion for AEDs?   Can’t we just call 911?
The national average for EMS response in the US is 8-10 minutes.  It is recommended (for best chances of survival) AEDs be used early on and ideally within 2-4 minutes.  There is a very good chance emergency medical services (EMS) cannot respond fast enough to save someone in cardiac arrest, particularly in congested urban areas, high-rise buildings, in remote rural areas, or large facilities. Besides traffic, consider the time needed to make it through building security or in a crowded shopping mall with multiple escalators and all the way to a victim, for example.

“What constitutes gross negligence isn’t spelled out in the law. Per product liability attorneys specializing in AED case law, organizations that have heavy traffic are more at risk if they fail to comply with “standards to provide care” and don’t have an AED at all.  Any facility manager, HR manager or a safety, EHS director at any large or high traffic facility should consider ramifications of not having at least one on premises in the event of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).  It is most likely their own job they are putting on the line and they should argue hard for them.  As a value-add for those directors whom can’t get top down management on board and funding is an obstacle, they should get hard copy evidence on file from their management if they can not get approval for purchase.  The old “CYA” policy!

If you would like to see examples of current AED case law and how settlements and lawsuits have fallen, please contact our AED LAW experts at info@think-safe.com or 888-473-1777.

Products to consider sold by Think Safe to help your organization with AED funding and placement assistance:  AED grants or AED brands and models available.  Contact our AED GRANT DEPARMENT at grants@think-safe.com for more information and best pricing or match funding on the market for your AED funding solutions.