Why is it important for HSLC to have a defibrillator (AED) available?

• Cardiac arrest is the leading cause (#1) of adult death in the United States
• CPR temporarily circulates some blood to vital organs, but it can't restore someone’s heart to a healthy rhythm.
• Prompt defibrillation is the only known effective treatment to reverse sudden cardiac arrest.
• Each minute of delay in delivering a defibrillation shock reduces a person's chance of survival by 10%
• AEDs walk a lay user step by step through CPR and administering a shock.
• The AED determines if the person needs a shock and won't shock a patient that can't benefit from it.
• Having an AED quickly available will greatly increase the survival rate of an adult or child who experiences a sudden cardiac arrest.