According to data collected by the American Heart Association, there were 359,400 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests documented in the U.S. in 2013, with an overall survivor rate of just 9.5%.¹ EMS professionals know that time is the most critical factor in effectively treating cardiac arrest—research has found that when a person suffers from sudden cardiac arrest, each minute that passes without defibrillation causes their chance of survival to decrease by 10%.² That means that an ALS unit with an 8-minute response time arrives to a patient with only a 20% chance of survival—not very favorable odds.

Though these statistics clearly pose an industry-wide obstacle to delivering quality care, there hasn’t been much movement in regards to what exactly can be done. Recently, however, community outreach programs have made a difference in increasing survival rates.

Saving hearts in Arizona

One such program that has gotten a fair amount of industry attention (including a keynote address at this year’s Pinnacle EMS Leadership conference) is a collaboration between the University of Arizona, Arizona Department of Health Services and Mayo Clinic, and focuses on public education of compression-only CPR.

The Save Hearts in Arizona Registry and Education (SHARE) program promotes a comprehensive, standardized system of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care that encompasses bystander response, emergency medical dispatch CPR instruction, EMS provider resuscitation and hospital care, as well as support for cardiac arrest survivors and their families. The multipronged approach includes informational resources, public awareness campaigns, AED registration, training resources and recognition programs for schools and businesses that meet the SHARE program’s criteria for preparedness in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

So far, the effort has paid off. A ticker on the SHARE homepage, azshare.gov, boasts 2,182 lives saved in Arizona with compression-only CPR. SHARE’s library of training videos—23 of them, all available online—include guest appearances from former Phoenix Sun point guard Steve Nash and retired Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Mark Grace. The inclusion of pop culture and sports stars serves to make the content appealing and accessible to a broad public audience.

Indeed, one of the reasons compression-only CPR is so appealing is ease of bystander execution. One person trained in compression-only techniques could easily deliver instructions to an untrained bystander to alleviate the fatigue of performing compressions for an extended time. Compression-only CPR also eliminates the common “ick” factor associated with mouth-to-mouth resuscitations. With more members of the general population willing and able to step in during a sudden cardiac arrest, the greater chance that the victim will still be alive when the ambulance arrives.

San Diego’s push for AEDs

In San Diego, Calif., the public-private partnership between San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and Rural/Metro created the perfect opportunity for a public access defibrillation and CPR program. Known as San Diego Project Heart Beat (SDPHB), the program aims to improve the survivability of sudden cardiac arrest victims by making AEDs “as accessible as fire extinguishers” in public and private areas.

Project Heart Beat (sdprojectheartbeat.com) provides assistance to schools, businesses, places of worship, municipal departments and other venues to obtain AEDs for those locations. SDPHB not only helps write grant proposals for those interested in the AED program, but it also matches funds raised by certain qualifying institutions. Whenever a new AED is secured, SDPHB’s team of medical professional provides on-site training in AED operation so those who work and live near an AED site feel comfortable and confident enough to use the device in instances of cardiac emergency.

In addition to securing AEDs, SDPHB offers training in CPR as well as generalized first aid courses. The group hosts a number of community events throughout the year, bringing medical training to the front doors of neighborhoods throughout metro San Diego. One event held in September of this year was co-presented by San Diego Fire Fighters and the San Diego Padres Major League Baseball team. Geared toward youth over 8-years-old, the event was held inside Petco Park (the Padres’ home stadium) and all 50 participants received a free CPR Anytime Kit, two free tickets to that evening’s Padres game against the Phillies and recognition during the pre-game ceremonies. By educating and rewarding young people for learning CPR and AED operation, Project Heartbeat ensures that bystanders of a cardiac arrest will know how to properly react, both quickly and instinctively.

There’s an app for that

One of the more recent innovations in out-of-hospital cardiac care is a new app called PulsePoint. The app, available on iOS and Android, is a mobile alert system for bystanders. PulsePoint Respond sends push notifications to alert users that a sudden cardiac arrest is occurring near their GPS location, plus information on where they can find the nearest AED.

In areas where available, users who indicate that they are trained in CPR and willing to assist in case of an emergency are notified if someone nearby is having a cardiac emergency and may require CPR. The alert provides location information of the emergency, plus instructions on how to perform CPR once help has arrived.

A secondary app, called PulsePoint AED, is a user-generated database of AED locations. When citizens spot an AED, they can check the PulsePoint app to see if it is already noted in the database. If that particular AED is not found, the user can then register the location and even upload a photo so that future users will know where to spot the device. Users can place the exact AED location on a map, and add any business descriptions or contextual information that will help other PulsePoint users find it in the event of an emergency.

SDPHB is one of many PulsePoint partners, and the group integrates the app into its training regimen, encouraging all San Diego residents to sign up and to receive the emergency alerts. In this way, EMS providers are able to increase survival rates in their jurisdictions while also furthering engagement with the communities they serve.

REFERENCES

1. American Heart Association. (Updated Sept. 11, 2014) Cardiac Arrest Statistics. Retrieved on Sep. 11, 2014, from www.heart.org/HEARTORG/General/Cardiac-Arrest-Statistics_UCM_448311_Article.jsp.

2. Blaylock K, Blaylock M. (n.d.) Our Inspirations. San Diego Project Heart Beat. Retrieved on Sep. 11, 2014, from sdprojectheartbeat.com/about-us/our-inspirations/.