Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Statistics
The following statements are fair generalizations:
- Right now early CPR and rapid defibrillation (de-fib"rih-LA'shun)
combined with early advanced care can result in high long-term survival
rates for witnessed ventricular fibrillation (ven-TRIK'u-ler fib"rih-LA'shun).
- The value of early CPR by bystanders is that it can buy time by prolonging
life during ventricular fibrillation. Early bystander CPR is less helpful
if EMS personnel equipped with a defibrillator arrive later than 8-12
minutes after the collapse.
Sudden cardiac death (S.C.D.)
- Sudden cardiac death from coronary heart disease occurs over 680 times
per day in the United States.
- Sudden cardiac death in people less than 21 years old is one-tenth
as common as in adults, occurring in only 1 to 2 children per 100,000
per year.
- A review of published studies that report initial heart rhythms during
cardiac arrest in children indicates that the majority (40-90 percent)
have asystole (a-SIS'to-le) or pulseless electrical activity when first
evaluated. However, ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia
(ven-TRIK'u-ler tak"eh-KAR'de-ah) is found in up to 23 percent.
Americanheart.org
CPR training can be requested by contacting the Katy EMS supervisor,
or sending an email to request information at information@katyfire.com