Right now, millions of students across the country are participating in
physical activities at their schools - a basketball or soccer game,
football and cheerleading practice or gym class. What if one of them
had a life-threatening cardiac emergency? Would the school be prepared?
Sudden cardiac arrest strikes more than 340,000 Americans each year,
including children and teens, usually without warning. Heart conditions
tend to go undetected and often manifest themselves during physical
activity. In the event of a cardiac arrest, a quick response and the
early use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) are critical to
improving the chances of survival.
According to the American Heart Association, early use of AEDs -
portable devices that analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver an
electric shock to reestablish a normal heartbeat -could raise the
chance of survival by 20 percent or more.
"Nearly 95 percent of cardiac arrest victims die - usually because
defibrillation occurs too late," said Dr. Vincent Mosesso Jr. of the
National Center for Early Defibrillation based at the University of
Pittsburgh. "Every minute that passes before returning the heart to a
normal rhythm decreases the chance of survival by 10 percent. Patients
who receive CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and a defibrillator
shock within three minutes of going into sudden cardiac arrest have the
best odds of survival."
Unfortunately, many schools aren't equipped with AEDs.
For that reason, Duracell and Zoll Medical Corp. have teamed up to help
inform parents and educators about the importance of being prepared for
these critical situations.
"Through this campaign, we want to work with communities across the
country to provide their schools with the tools necessary to help save
lives," said Kara Salzillo, manager of brand communications for
Duracell.