AEDs are 'really easy' lifesavers
Katie Morell
Naperville Sun
February 15, 2010
If you witness someone going into cardiac arrest, Dr. Vincent Bufalino, M.D., president and CEO of Midwest Heart Specialists, advises swift action on the part of everyday residents.
That includes using CPR and, if possible, automated external defibrillators, or AEDs.
Naperville officials say they're working with the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation to promote the installation of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in residential neighborhoods throughout the city. file photo
"If you look at the survival rate from cardiac arrests nationwide, we are only saving 5 or 6 percent of people without a defibrillator close by," he said. "AEDs have revolutionized that. From the moment you go down, every minute that passes makes a big difference. Having them readily accessible makes it important."
Mark Puknaitis, Naperville's fire chief, also said a speedy response is essential in cardiac situations.
"We have several ambulances in the community, and they are all equipped with advanced life support," he said. "The problem is, within four to six minutes, people start to lose vital organs in the body. You really have four to six minutes to react. It is almost impossible for us to get to a scene of an incident within an acceptable amount of time in a sudden cardiac arrest. We need the intervention of other people to reach success."
Not sure how to use an AED? Bufalino said not to worry.
"They are really easy to use; they are not scary," he said, adding that Edward Hospital offers CPR courses that include AED training. "Many of them (AEDs) even talk to you and tell you what to do. Most have three buttons and some have only two: a power button and a shock button."
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