Why should you have a personal defibrillator in your home?

Knowing the facts reveals the need.

• FACT #1 – Every year sudden cardiac arrest takes the lives of more than 300,000 Americans of all ages, regardless of gender.
• FACT #2 – Over 50% of victims will have no symptoms – sudden cardiac arrest will strike without warning.
• FACT #3 – The majority of victims could be saved if a defibrillator is used right away. Survival odds decrease 10% every minute without a defibrillator.
• FACT #4 – 80% of sudden cardiac arrest occurs at home.

The fact is every home should have a personal defibrillator (sometimes referred to as an automated external defibrillator or AED) because everyone is susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest. Every family should have the protection of a personal defibrillator.

To achieve the maximum benefit, a defibrillator must be utilized within the first 3 - 5 minutes of cardiac arrest. Due to that time restraint, there is no substitute for a defibrillator that is immediately accessible. Be ready to save the life of a loved one or friend – it's safe, easy and smart with Good To Be Alive^®.

A November 2010 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) White Paper on defibrillators recognizes the fact that defibrillators are saving lives in many settings. The following are various excerpts:

Sudden cardiac arrest usually happens without warning, and the majority of people have no previously recognized symptoms of heart disease. Each year, hundreds of patients in all kinds of settings are successfully rescued with the aid of external defibrillators.

AEDs [automated external defibrillators] are also found in homes where they are intended to be used by minimally trained or untrained individuals.

Speed is critical -- first responders have only minutes before patients are beyond rescue.

Because of their proven public health benefit, FDA continues to strongly encourage the use of external defibrillators when appropriate during the resuscitation of cardiac arrest victims.

The 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines (for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care) clarifies ease-of-use regarding today's generation of defibrillators:

Use of an AED does not require training, although training does improve performance.

What is a personal defibrillator?

A personal defibrillator is an automated external defibrillator (portable, lightweight device for reviving sudden cardiac arrest victims) that is best-suited for personal use. Good To Be Alive^® has assessed each personal defibrillator based on ease-of-use, ease-of-maintenance, features, and other factors ... so you don't have to.

Regarding the need to use a defibrillator immediately on a victim of cardiac arrest, the American Red Cross says it has a vision that everyone should be within 4 minutes of a defibrillator. As a practical matter, in most scenarios, the only way to be within 4 minutes of a defibrillator is to own one. The following is the relevant excerpt:

The American Red Cross has a vision of one person in every household being trained in First Aid and CPR lifesaving skills, and all Americans being within four minutes of a defibrillator with someone trained to use it in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.

The 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care says:

Early defibrillation is critical to survival from cardiac arrest (SCA) for several reasons: the most frequent initial rhythm in out-of-hospital witnessed cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation (VF), the treatment for ventricular fibrillation is defibrillation, the probability of successful defibrillation diminishes rapidly over time.

In the American Heart Association's 2008 public policy statement on the topic, the health agency wrote:

When it comes to a heart attack, cardiac arrest…time is the enemy. In fact, early defibrillation along with CPR is the only way to restore the SCA victim's heart rhythm to normal. For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chances of survival decrease by 7-10 percent.

The American Heart Association's 2010 Guidelines clarifies the misconception that CPR commonly resuscitates victims of cardiac arrest:

Basic CPR alone, however, is unlikely to terminate VF [heart malfunction] and restore a perfusing rhythm [normal function]. To give the victim the best chance of survival, 3 actions must occur within the first moments of a cardiac arrest: activation of the emergency medical services system, provisions of CPR, and operation of an AED [defibrillator].

Do I need a personal defibrillator?

Fact, 80% of sudden cardiac arrest occurs at home. If a defibrillator is used immediately, the chance of resuscitation is 70% to 90% (depending on the research cited), without a defibrillator on hand, survival rates are 1% to 6%.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death worldwide. More than 300,000 US deaths annually, across all demographics, are attributed to sudden cardiac arrest – that's more than breast cancer, prostate cancer, house fires, hand guns, traffic accidents, and AIDS combined.

Many sudden cardiac arrest deaths could be prevented if a defibrillator were used immediately. Survival odds decrease 10% every minute without a defibrillator. Few attempts at resuscitation are successful after 10 minutes without a defibrillator – often, emergency response times are far too long.

As noted above, the 2010 FDA White Paper acknowledges three key points: (1) the majority of victims have no warning, (2) the importance of early defibrillation, and (3) current home use. The following are the related excerpts:

Sudden cardiac arrest usually happens without warning, and the majority of people have no previously recognized symptoms of heart disease. Patient survival depends on a rapid sequence of rescue events that may include the successful delivery of a high-energy shock from an external defibrillator.

Speed is critical -- first responders have only minutes before patients are beyond rescue. AEDs [automated external defibrillators] are used by trained users, first responders, and by untrained bystanders.

They are used in homes and are increasingly found in public places such as airports, hotels, schools, and sports facilities.

We are all at risk, including the youngest among us. Sudden cardiac arrest is not limited to the aging population or either gender – everyone is vulnerable.

Approximately 22% of sudden deaths for people between 1 and 21 years of age are due to cardiac arrest. Noteworthy, in 2008, the American Red Cross issued an advisory change recommending automated external defibrillation for victims as young as newborn. Following in 2010, the American Heart Association recommends that a standard automated external defibrillator be used on children and infants.

Regarding infants, the American Heart Association 2010 Guidelines says:

Automated external defibrillators with relatively high-energy doses have been used successfully on infants in cardiac arrest with no clear adverse effects.

Regarding women, in the American Heart Association's 2008 public policy statement on the topic, the health agency wrote:

The coronary heart disease death rate for younger women ages 35 to 44 increased annually between 1997 and 2002. Cardiovascular disease now kills more women than the next five causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. However, the perception persists that heart disease is just a "man's disease"...

Most victims of sudden cardiac arrest had no warning signs. The majority of sudden cardiac arrest victims were asymptomatic, meaning these victims were not at heightened risk for a heart attack. In fact, more women are struck without warning than men.

Families should consider the cost of a home defibrillator distributed across family members, not just attributed to older males – a personal defibrillator is meaningful protection for every member of your household (and guests). Noteworthy, the purchase of your home defibrillator is likely a qualified purchase for most Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and similar pre-tax health savings plans. Please consult with your savings account administrator or a tax professional for specific guidance regarding the qualification of this expense.

New York state residents that purchase a personal defibrillator are entitled to receive a $500 tax credit. Click here to find out more.

Never before has a consumer device empowered people for such dramatic results. The decision to get a personal defibrillator for your home is your recognition of the value of protecting precious years of life.