Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the number one killer of people in the United States. Over 450,000 Americans a year die from this silent killer. Not surprisingly, OSHA identifies SCA as the number one killer in the workplace, as it is the cause of 15 percent of all workplace fatalities. By its very nature, SCA is completely unpredictable and can strike anyone at any time, often without regard to someone’s age or health. Tragically, 95 percent of SCA victims die before reaching the hospital. The chance of a SCA victim’s survival decreases by 10 percent for every minute that passes. To be effective, defibrillation treatment must be administered within the first few minutes of the arrest. The American Heart Association estimates roughly 50 percent could survive an arrest with prompt and proper treatment using an AED.
Increased survival rates are the primary reason hundreds of thousands of AEDs have already been deployed throughout the US workplaces and public areas. American University strives to create a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors. As a result, a Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program was instituted in early 2013. Additional information pertaining to AU’s PAD program can be found on this web page.