Our Goals
1) INCREASE REACTION TIME
Increase Accessibility to Automated External Defibrillators for the Public in Case of Cardiac Arrest
Caridac arrest is defined as the loss of circulation of blood through the body due the failure of the heart to beat effectively. Most cardiac arrests are caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). The victim loses consciousness, has no pulse, stops breathing and death follows in minutes. The only way to correct VF is to give the heart an electrical shock called defibrillation. Defibrillation allows the heart to resume it's normal rhythm and restore it's pumping ability. For every minute that passes without defibrillation, a victim’s chance of survival decreases by 7-10%. Therefore, defibrillation should occur within minutes. An Automated External Defibrillator (abbreviated AED) is a device that automatically analyzes heart rhythm and if it detects a problem, it permits a shock to be delivered to restore a normal heart rhythm.
Our goal is to increase reaction time to cardiac arrest. We aim to:
- Promote placement and use of AEDs nationwide (i.e., schools; libraries; parks; recreation centers; small businesses; corporations).
- Have AEDs accessible to all potential victims of cardiac arrest (in less than 4 minutes).
Ensure that every household has at least one member trained in CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use.
2) INCREASE AWARENESS
The more we know about Heart Disease and Sudden Cardiac Arrest, the more we can do to prevent it! We aim to:
- Educate the public about heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest through internet education and community outreach programs
- Provide information and resources on methods of heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest prevention
- Influence public policy related to heart disease prevention
- Implement programs to decrease risk factors of heart disease including hypertension, high blood cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity, and tobacco use
