An Automated External Defibrillator AED is a device used to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, interrupting blood flow and oxygen to the heart and brain. It’s the leading cause of death in the US and can occur at any time – even in people believed to be healthy. All VSC offices are required to have at least one AED onsite. They are to be made readily available in the event of an emergency so that any person(s) can access to save a life. VSC provides training to it staff on how to operate an AED as well as CPR in the event SCA should occur, please contact your local Regional Safety Manager for details.
VSC has had to use an AED and provide CPR on several occasions and thanks to the training and team effort each time these measures have been utilized, it has saved the person’s life!
The two key components to helping a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA):
- CPR to restore blood flow to the brain and heart.
- An electrical shock from a defibrillator to stop the heart’s erratic beating and help enable it to restore its normal rhythm.
Important Points for AED Use
Do not wait to get the victim medical attention – Studies have shown that if defibrillated within the first minute of collapse, the victim’s chances for survival are close to 90 percent. For every minute that defibrillation is delayed, survival decreases by 7 percent to 10 percent. If it is delayed by more than 10 minutes, the chance of survival in adults is less than 5 percent.
Because of their ease of use, anybody can use an AED, but usually a trained individual will grab the AED and begin the process.
VSC had a recent incident in one of our offices where an office team member went into cardiac arrest and due to the team being able to use the AED we have onsite and using the proper CPR procedures they were able to save the life of our team member!