The typical response of a person to someone who is having a sudden cardiac arrest episode is panic. There is a high potential for a hysterical outburst, which is in no way helpful for you or the one who needs medical attention. If the victim is unfortunate enough, the people around them might even be afraid to approach them. This should not be the case as an SCA calls for immediate action. You cannot simply wait for an emergency response team to arrive. Take note that every minute counts when it comes to someone who has been under cardiac arrest. For every minute that they do not get the medical assistance they need, their chances of survival quickly descends.
The problem is that there are still many people who do not know how to address an SCA emergency. This is normally the case at homes. Considering that the home is the one place where a person feels mostly at peace, there is a great possibility of disregarding some of the basic safety measures. As much as public areas, your home should also be equipped with a proper AED program. While most will have first aid kits stashed in the medical cabinet, and AED is probably nowhere to be found. This is unacceptable because, as emphasized many times, sudden cardiac arrests happen anywhere and to anyone. The home is no exception, meaning that there is also much need for an AED program in it.
In the present, the American Heart Association is executing all the measures needed in order to help everyone have a clear concept of how to implement an AED program. They present trainings for the use of AEDs, letting their students learn more about the basics of defibrillation, which is the technique of sending electric shocks to the heart in order to bring back its normal rhythm. The organization’s goal of making people realize the relevance of AEDs to counter sudden cardiac arrest have been supported by the several studies claiming that the device has the ability to increase a victim’s survival rate by 49%. Meanwhile, the survival rate drops at 10% for every minute that the victim does not receive defibrillation.
In an AED program, the use of CPR is also included. This is the technique in which the rescuer will provide artificial air into the victim. Through a mouth to mouth resuscitation and chest compressions, oxygen passed along the organs and the blood flow goes back to normal, retrieving the heart’s function.
A home AED program is made possible through home AEDs. These are devices that are made easier to use for people who have not experienced medical training. With a much simpler operation, it is easy for anyone in the household to use a home AED. With it, there is no more reason to not respond to the need of a loved one suffering sudden cardiac arrest at home. It is user-friendly and gives a step by step guide as to how the rescuer should respond to the situation.
