Sudden cardiac arrest kills about 250,000 Americans each year. During this emergency event the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively and, instead, flutters chaotically in the victim's chest. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can keep oxygenated blood flowing to the body's vital organs, only an electric shock can help reset the heart to its normal rhythm and save the person's life. Victims of sudden cardiac arrest die almost 95 percent of the time (in out-of-hospital settings) because this life-saving electric shock must occur within the first few minutes of the event.

The American Heart Association believes that as many as 50,000 lives could be saved each year if defibrillation were more widely performed as part of the "Chain of Survival." Congress has begun making communities across the nation more secure by granting nearly $35 million in funding to expand automated external defibrillator programs through the Health Resources and Services Administration.

You can help save the lives of your loved ones, coworkers, and friends. Learn more about AEDs, take a CPR class, understand the other components of the "Chain of Survival," and help the association gain federal support for AED funding programs.

• The price of an AED varies by make and model and continues to decline. Most AEDs only cost around $3,000.
• For every minute that passes without defibrillation, a victim's chances of survival decrease by 7-10 percent
• Even the very best EMS systems experience delays from heavy traffic, secured buildings, gated communities, large building complexes and high-rises. In New York City, where emergency response teams fight extreme traffic, the average arrival time for emergency vehicles is about 12 minutes. The cardiac arrest survival rate there is less than 2 percent.

The UNTHC Founders' Activity Center Presents "Saving Lives Through Education" The Automatic External Defibulator (AED). The video briefly provides information and demonstration of the proper intent and use of the AED. In addition, the video provides the location of the nine (9) AED's located on the UNTHSC campus. This video was put together for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for training or certification purposes.

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Special thanks the following for the creation, participation, and production of the video:

April Grimmet, 2005 summer intern - UNTHSC Founders' Activity Center /Health Promotion
Watler Nettles, UNTHSC Safety Coordinator
Susie Quintana, UNTHSC Health Promotion Manager
Robert Spurgeon, UNTHSC Video Producer

For more information on CPR and AEDs, visit the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org