One of the leading causes of death in the United States is sudden cardiac arrest. The chance of survival is greatly increased by the administration of a defibrillator.

The administration of a defibrillator is highly successful when used within the first few minutes following sudden cardiac arrest, decreasing by approximately ten percent every minute the treatment is delayed.

In the past, the ability to defibrillate was solely in the hands of emergency medical personnel. Unfortunately, quick emergency medical response is not always possible.

The average arrival time for emergency vehicles in New York City is about 12 minutes. Therefore, cardiac arrest survival rates are less than 2 percent there.

A new state law, effective January 2, 2009, is intended to protect the health and safety of swimmers and bathers of surf or bathing beaches by requiring that there be a cardiac automated external defibrillator and at least one lifeguard trained in its operation and use during all periods of required supervision.

This post brought to you by Friedman & Ranzenhofer – Injury Attorneys in Rochester NY