Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States in Both Men and Women. Research and studies show that roughly 50% of Cardiac Arrests are unwitnessed, and only about 10% of patients who experience a cardiac arrest in an out-of-hospital setting survive to hospital discharge (1). Because of these staggering statistics the importance of early bystander CPR and implementation of an AED during the early stages of a Cardiac Arrest remain very high priorities for healthcare professionals and the American Heart Association.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) allows us to circulate the blood and oxygen for a victim in Cardiac Arrest. The earlier CPR can begin during a Cardiac Arrest the better the chance of survival for our victims. While the importance of early CPR continues to be a high priority, The implementation and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is critical. The AED allows us to detect a cardiac arrest rhythm in a patient and if necessary, delivers an electric shock to the victims’ heart, with the goal of eliminating the abnormal heart rhythm and restoring normal blood and oxygen flow for our patient.
For many years, States, cities and local counties have established their own Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) programs, these programs focus on strategically placing AEDs throughout the community in high-risk locations and populated areas such as shopping malls, government buildings, movie theatres, supermarkets, and libraries. The goal of these PAD programs is to distribute and place as many AEDs in the community as possible, so that they can be accessed and implemented as soon as possible during a cardiac arrest emergency, thereby greatly increasing a victim’s chances of survival and recovery.
A newer initiative has focused attention on distributing these AED’s and placing them in outdoor settings such as at beaches, parks, and sporting venues. These locations are all highly populated and are prime locations for AED placement. When considering placing an AED in an outdoor location, several questions may come to mind. One of those common questions is “What type of protection needs to be provided when selecting an outdoor storage unit for my AED?”
AEDs are very reliable and durable devices, when considering an outdoor location several factors must be kept in mind to provide security and protection for the AED to protect the device from extreme heat and cold, rain, snow, and other potential issues such as vandalism or theft.
We recommend the CE-TEK 4000 All Weather AED Enclosure. In addition to providing protection from weather elements, theft and damage, This AED Enclosure also has excellent protection and security features including: a permanent Interior LED light and thermostat inside the enclosure, a durable stainless steel keypad lock on the outside of the compartment, this enclosure is also approved for all US FDA approved AED units and is backed with a 10-year manufacturer guarantee.
While the CE-TEK 4000 All Weather AED Enclosure provides optimal security and protection for the AED, it also allows a rescuer to obtain entry to the enclosure and access the AED 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The rescuer need only dial 911 or other local emergency response number and the Emergency Dispatcher will provide the rescuer with the code for the enclosure’s security keypad. Once the code is entered the rescuer will be able to open the compartment, access the AED device and quickly implement it into their resuscitation attempt.
There are more AED’s available in the community now than there were 10-15 years ago. Our mission is to continue training rescuers and distributing these AEDs throughout communities. As we continue to place these AED’s we hope to see shorter collapse-to-defibrillation times which will help us drastically reduce the number of lives lost to cardiac arrest.
AED placement and proper storage go hand in hand. With investing in an AED also comes the need for proper storage and security for the device. You can rest assured that the CE-TEK 4000 All Weather AED Enclosure will provide the highest possible protection for your AED to ensure that it is ready to be used during an emergency.
By Sean Kavanaugh
References:
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Manual (2020 edition pg.1)
