Position Statements Augment Community Outcomes

• 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics position statement reminds members that automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) can safely be used in children younger than eight (8) years old and that placing AEDs in schools also makes it available to school personnel, visitors, and facility.

• 2006 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine supports ongoing efforts to enhance emergency response to medical emergencies in the occupational environment. Development of programs to utilize AEDs is a reasonable and appropriate aspect of such programs to manage sudden cardiac arrest, an important cause of morbidity and mortality among working age adults. Implementation of such an AED program should be a component of a more general worksite emergency response plan.

• 2005 Journal of American College of Cardiology: 36^th Bethesda Conference Recommendations – AEDs should be available at educational facilities that have competitive athletic programs (including intramural sports and conditioning classes), stadiums, arenas, and training sites, with trained responders identified among the permanent staff.

• 2004 New England Journal of Medicine article entitled ‘Public Access Defibrillation and Survival after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest’ concludes that training and equipping volunteers to attempt early defibrillation within a structured response system can increase the number of survivors to hospital discharge after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in public locations.  Trained laypersons can use AEDs safely and effectively.

• 2003 New England Journal of Medicine article entitled ‘Long Term Outcomes of Out-of –Hospital Cardiac Arrest after Successful Early Defibrillation’ reveals that programs focusing on early defibrillation have improved the rate of survival to hospital discharge with a nearly normal quality of life/return to work status.

• 1999 American Heart Association statistics show that early CPR and early defibrillation combined with early advanced care can result in as high as 40% long-term survival rates for witnessed ventricular fibrillation

For more information visit us at www.westernfirstaid.com or email us at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 866-362-2691

The above information was supplied by Saint Lukes