AED 411

By Danny Howard, One Beat CPR & AED

Picture this – It’s a normal night at the gym, coaches are busy with cheer practice, when all of the sudden, one of you cheerleaders suddenly collapses. This happened to 17-year-old cheerleader, Jessica Clinton, while resting at the drinking fountain. The gym was not equipped with an AED and by the time EMS arrived it was too late. The same thing happened to 11-year-old Breana Vergara in December 2014. The worst part of these situations is that they could have been prevented. While Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in student athletes in the United States, many of the deaths that result from SCA can be avoided with an Emergency Action Plan and an AED.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. SCA usually causes death if it’s not treated within minutes.
• Over 425,000 lives (2,000+ being children) each year are taken from SCA; more than breast cancer, lung cancer, stroke, and AIDS combined.
• The average survival rate from SCA is only 7%, but with AED care administered within one minute the chance of survival rises to 90%.
• Survival rates between 40-50% have been achieved where AED programs have been successfully implemented.
• Many of the student-athlete deaths that occur in the United Stated from SCA are preventable.
• Today’s AEDs couldn’t be easier to use – you open the box and the device walks you through the steps.
• The lifespan of AED equipment is eight years (although pads do need to be replaced every two years to ensure they provide the necessary shock in a sudden cardiac arrest episode).
• Taking the equipment and pad replacement into account, having an AED in your gym facility costs just $0.59/day, based on the eight-year lifespan.

Have your gym owner/coach contact Danny Howard (954.952.7470) at danny@onebeatcpr.com for information on obtaining an AED for their gym and mention code CB17 for CheerBiz News exclusive pricing.