February 25, 2008­­–ANCHORAGE–How does the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) compare to other cities in the delivery of emergency medical services? If you had a cardiac arrest and collapsed in Anchorage what chance would you have to survive?

A 2003 USA Today article found disparities in emergency medical care across the nation and said cities that carefully track their EMS performance save many more lives. Several cities including Houston, Anchorage, Austin, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Raleigh and Tucson have signed up for the Emory University/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) study known as Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, or CARES.

February 21, 2008–ScienceDaily–Patients who have an in-hospital cardiac arrest at night or on the weekend have a substantially lower rate of survival to discharge than hospitalized patients who experience a cardiac arrest during day/evening times on weekdays, according to a new study.

The detection and treatment of cardiac arrests may be less effective at night because of patient, hospital, staffing and response factors. If in-hospital cardiac arrests are more common or survival is worse on nights and weekends, this information could have important implications for hospital staffing, training, care delivery processes and equipment decisions, according to background information in the article.

February 20, 2008–CARMEL, Maine––U.S. Senator Susan Collins and Maine Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director Jay Bradshaw applauded a donation of 25 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for Maine schools from Defibtech, a company that designs and manufactures the portable, electronic devices that can shock a heart back into normal rhythm and save a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.

February 20, 2008–CARMEL, Maine––U.S. Senator Susan Collins and Maine Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director Jay Bradshaw applauded a donation of 25 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for Maine schools from Defibtech, a company that designs and manufactures the portable, electronic devices that can shock a heart back into normal rhythm and save a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.

February 20, 2008­–SHANGHAI­–Local medical experts are urging the government to install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public venues as soon as possible to provide people with emergency treatment if they suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).Beijing is currently the only city in China to have installed defibrillators in public places, including airports and at Olympic sports venues.The local government is considering the issue in the lead-up to World Expo in 2010.

A training center was established at Shanghai Chest Hospital last month to teach the public how to use AEDs properly.

February 15, 2008–AUSTIN–On Valentine’s Day, 73 local men and women who survived sudden cardiac arrest got a chance to meet their rescuers at the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Service’s annual Take Heart Austin Survivor Celebration.

Doug Engle suffered a heart attack one year ago, while running along Austin's hike and bike trail.

“About that time, I started having pain in my chest and I just kind of sluffed it off,” said Engle.

After walking about a mile to his truck, Engle went into cardiac arrest.  His wife was nine months pregnant at the time.

“He wasn't breathing, he didn't have a heartbeat,” said Matt Paul, a paramedic with Austin/Travis County EMS.

Paul and fellow paramedic, Craig Fairbrother, work at an EMS station just down the road.  They were called out soon after.