Defibrillators In The Home: Giving People The Chance To Help Save Lives

(NAPSI) – A lunchbox-sized red case sits in Art Garofalo's living room in Weston, Massachusetts, a constant reminder to him that he is a lucky man. Inside this case is a lifesaving device, known as an automated external defibrillator (AED), which Art purchased for his home because a similar model saved his life over two years ago.

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Sudden cardiac arrest kills approximately 340,000 individuals each year. That's more than AIDS, breast cancer, prostate cancer, handguns, house fires and traffic accidents combined. Nearly 80 percent of the time, sudden cardiac arrest strikes in the home. In most cases, it is witnessed by someone who could potentially help. An SCA victim's chance of survival decreases by approximately 10 percent with each minute that passes. After 10 minutes, few SCA victims survive. In a typical community, it can take an average of nine minutes for emergency help to arrive. An estimated 40,000 more lives could be saved each year if defibrillators were more widely available. Currently, fewer than seven percent of victims survive.

While working out at a Boston Sports Club, the vibrant and healthy 61-year-old blacked out on an exercise machine and collapsed to the floor. He would learn later that he suffered from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), an abrupt loss of heart function that claims more than 340,000 American lives each year.

Luckily, the sports club had recently purchased a Philips HeartStart Defibrillator, which is used in these types of emergency situations. A sports trainer immediately administered CPR while another trainer used the defibrillator to shock Art back to life. Because of the defibrillator, Art was successfully resuscitated.

After his incident, Art learned that there was no way his doctor could have predicted his cardiac arrest. He also learned that the ambulance arrived at the gym about 20 minutes after his collapse, which could have been 10 minutes too late for him. Art would have been dead if a defibrillator was not used in those crucial first minutes.

"I'm not only incredibly grateful to have a second chance at life, but I've also become a passionate advocate for AEDs," said Garofalo. "I've joined the SCA Survivors Network, which helps to spread the word about SCA and the need for defibrillators, and helps to raise donation money for defibrillators for charities in local communities. I've also purchased a HeartStart defibrillator for my home, so my family and I can always be prepared."

On average, it takes emergency services about nine minutes to reach a victim in a typical community. And for every minute that passes without defibrillation, a victim's chances of survival decrease by approximately 10 percent. This is why having defibrillators readily accessible is so crucial – losing that time can make a very big difference.

"A defibrillator is an essential piece of home safety equipment, especially since approximately 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur in the home," said Ed Stapleton, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. "Much like having a fire extinguisher nearby although you might not expect your house to burn down, adding a defibrillator to traditional home safety items is absolutely necessary."

The American Heart Association estimates that 40,000 more lives could be saved in the U.S. annually if defibrillators were more widely available and could reach victims more quickly. The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator, the first and only defibrillator cleared for over-the-counter sale, guides a person through the defibrillation and CPR processes using clear, calm voice instructions, making it simple for virtually anyone to operate.

"The reason that I'm standing here today is because of a defibrillator, so I want to continue to be prepared each and every day in case of another sudden cardiac arrest, or so that I can repay the favor to another SCA victim," said Garofalo. "I hope I never have to use my home defibrillator, but I can rest a little easier knowing that it's there."

The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator is available at various retail outlets. Find out more on www.heartstarthome.com

Last updated: 01-Oct-07