If you are in the safety business, most likely you are well aware of the function of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and its value in saving lives. You know that an AED is designed to deliver an electric shock to victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) to restore their heart rhythm to normal. You’ve heard the statistics: There are 220,000 victims of sudden cardiac arrest per year in the U.S.; about 10,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur at work. Waiting for the arrival of emergency medical system personnel results in only 5-7 percent survival. Studies with immediate defibrillation have shown up to 60 percent survival one year after sudden cardiac arrest.1
But unless you’ve been involved in an AED rescue or you or a loved one has been saved by an AED, it’s difficult to truly appreciate the power of these lifesaving devices. Every day, all over the country, people cheat death by mere minutes thanks to fast-responding bystanders and rescuers armed with AEDs. Here are some of their stories.