Charleston mayor Joe Riley speaks at North Charleston High School Tuesday during an event to launch HeartSave.CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Continuing its initiative to place Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public and private facilities throughout the Tri-country area, Roper St. Francis' HeartSave program presented 15 AEDs to Mayor Joe Riley on behalf of The City of Charleston Tuesday.
HeartSave is made possible with funding support from The Medical Society of South Carolina and the cooperation and support of local facilities and municipal governments. The program also provides appropriate training to ensure safe and proper use of the AEDs.
"The public buildings within our community attract hundreds of people every day making them ideal locations for placement of AEDs," said Dr. William J. Grossman, a local cardiologist who introduced the HeartSave program in February 2005. "These devices are safe and easy to use, making it possible for non-medical personnel to be trained to provide rapid defibrillation."
An AED is a small, portable electronic device used to restore normal heart rhythm to patients in cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association, American College of Emergency Physicians and others support increased public access to AEDs.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States with an estimated 325,000 deaths per year, according to the Heart Rhythm Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of heart rhythm patients. They also note:
Out-of-hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrests have survival rates of less than 5%.
Without emergency help, SCA leads to death within minutes; survival rates plunge 7-10% every minute defibrillation is delayed.
Victims of cardiac arrest can be saved if a defibrillator device is immediately available.
Information provided by Roper St. Francis.
