Nevada Rural AED Program

Did you know?

• Annually, well over 100,000 people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest across the United States.
• It is estimated that more than 95% of victims die before reaching the hospital.
• Brain death and permanent death start to occur within 4-6 minutes.
• The chance of survival diminishes 7-10% for every minute without defibrillation and CPR.
• At 8-10 minutes post-episode, a victim has virtually no chance of survival.
• Nationwide, EMS response times are approximately 8-12 minutes in urban areas.  In rural and frontier areas the response times are typically longer, and can be significantly so in our most remote regions.
• Due to geography and small EMS services, in most of rural and frontier Nevada it is virtually impossible for EMS to render care fast enough to save the life of a victim of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
• An AED delivers an electrical shock to the victim to restore normal cardiac rhythm.
• AEDs are specifically designed for ease of use.  Simply attach the defibrillation pads to the victim and follow the prompts from the machine.  The AED will analyze the heart rhythm and determine if a shock is necessary.  Some AEDs will automatically deliver the shock, others require the bystander to push a button.
• The key to survival is the “Chain of Survival” – early detection, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care.

Did you also know?

• The Rural AED program began in Nevada in 2002 with pilot funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy of the US Department of Health and Human Services, with the sole intent to provide AEDs (automated external defibrillators) and AED/CPR training to rural and frontier Nevada in an effort to increase the survival rate for victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
• More than 500 AEDs have been placed statewide.  Placement sites include fire and EMS services, tribal and county law enforcement, schools, senior centers, clinics and hospitals, mines, casinos, youth centers, public pools, libraries, churches, retail, and city and county buildings.
• We are partnered with the Nevada Highway Patrol to place an AED in every patrol vehicle and to-date have placed 67 with rural-based troopers.
• We are a founding member of Nevada Project Heartbeat, the first statewide public access defibrillation program in the country.  Nevada Project Heartbeat was organized solely to increase the chances of survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest by making AEDs widely available in public places and creating “HeartSafe” communities through awareness and training in CPR/AED.

THE SYSTEM WORKS!

During the first year of the program, AEDs were placed with the East-Fork Fire and Paramedic District in Douglas County, which included placing AEDs on the fire trucks and “first-out” vehicles.  In spring 2009 the department responded to a call of an “unconscious female.”  En-route to the scene the call was upgraded to “CPR in progress.”  Upon arrival they found a female victim in full cardiac arrest.  The first responders providing CPR stopped to allow deployment of the AED.  A shock was delivered and CPR was resumed.  The ambulance arrived and transported the patient to the hospital while continuing CPR.  At the hospital, the patient regained consciousness and began to answer questions!

The key to her survival was the implementation of the Chain of Survival.  Witnesses recognized the emergency and administered CPR while 911 was contacted.  Upon the arrival of the first emergency responders – the fire department – the potential need for defibrillation was recognized, the AED was deployed and a shock was administered to the victim.  CPR resumed after the shock.  All this was occurring while the ambulance was en-route to the scene.  The victim received advanced care in the ambulance and at the hospital.  No link in the Chain of Survival was broken and it resulted in the saving of a life. 

How many lives could be saved every year if everyone was trained in the use of AEDs and CPR, and AEDs were widely available?

For more information on this program please contact:
Julie Redding
Nevada State Office of Rural Health
411 West Second Street
Reno, NV 89503
775-784-4841 phone
775-784-4544 fax
jredding@medicine.nevada.edu

For information on AED/CPR training for your community or organization please contact:

John Lambert
Nevada State Health Division – EMS Office
1000 East William, Suite 209
Carson City, NV  89701
775-687-7590 phone
775-687-7595 fax
jlambert@health.nv.gov