Are AEDs a Good Investment? You Bet Your Life.

A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philly.com was a cause for concern for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. Authors Arthur Caplan, MD, and James Fitzpatrick, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, cautioned readers about buying defibrillators, suggesting the concept of public access defibrillation may be overrated. More... We beg to differ. Here is our reponse.

As Caplan and Kirkpatrick point out, strategic placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) is important. It is also reasonable to prioritize public access defibrillator sites based on the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), especially when resources are scarce. That being said, it is important for readers to understand that SCA is a public health crisis affecting 295,000 people of all ages every year in the U.S.

To understand the magnitude of this crisis, consider the fact that 2,640 people died in house fires in 2010. About the same number died from SCA—over the course of three days.

We could not agree more that CPR is absolutely vital and everyone should learn these lifesaving skills. At the same time, the public should understand most SCA victims need to be treated with AEDs immediately—within three to five minutes of collapse. Even the best EMS systems in the world cannot reach the victim as quickly as bystanders at the scene.

Our National SCA Survivor Network is a testament to the benefit of well-placed AEDs. We have members in nearly all states and territories who can confirm they would not be alive today if it were not for bystander CPR and the immediate use of AEDs. Is appropriate placement of AEDs a good investment? You bet your life.