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Feature
Friday, November 11, 2011
American
Heart
Association
Applauds
Clinton's
Commitment
To
Fighting
Cardiac
Arrest
With
External
Defibrillators
ASHINGTON,
May
20
--
The
American
Heart
Association
on
Saturday,
May
20,
applauded
President
Clinton's
commitment
to
fighting
the
public
health
crisis
of
cardiac
arrest
by
expanding
access
to
life-saving
automated
external
defibrillators
(AEDs).
The
President
announced
the
plan
in
his
weekly
radio
broadcast
on
Saturday.
AEDs
are
small,
easy-to-use,
laptop-size
devices
that
can
analyze
heart
rhythms
of
cardiac
arrest
victims
to
determine
if
a
shock
is
necessary
and,
if
warranted,
deliver
a
life-saving
jolt
of
electricity
to
the
heart.
To
a
cardiac
arrest
victim,
every
second
counts.
A
person's
chance
of
survival
decreases
10
percent
for
each
minute
without
defibrillation.
Access
to
an
AED
can
mean
the
difference
between
life
and
death.
Noting
that
approximately
250,000
people
die
each
year
from
sudden
cardiac
arrest,
President
Clinton
unveiled
four
initiatives,
which
he
said
will
make
the
emergency
medical
devices
more
accessible
to
the
public.
Under
the
first
initiative,
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration
will
soon
begin
requiring
commercial
airliners
to
carry
AEDs
as
part
of
airlines'
on-board
medical
emergency
equipment.
Second,
the
President
announced
his
support
of
the
Cardiac
Arrest
Survival
Act
(CASA),
sponsored
by
Representative
Cliff
Stearns
(R-Fla.)
and
Senator
Slade
Gorton
(R-Wash.).
The
measure
passed
the
Senate
in
November
1999
and
is
now
awaiting
final
House
action
which
could
come
as
early
as
next
week.
The
legislation
would
facilitate
the
placement
of
AEDs
in
federal
buildings.
The
bill
also
expands
"Good
Samaritan"
protections
for
individuals
that
purchase
the
device
and
those
that
use
the
device.
Next,
the
President
announced
he
is
issuing
a
directive
to
establish
guidelines
for
appropriate
placement
of
AEDs
in
federal
buildings.
Finally,
the
President
announced
a
partnership
with
the
American
Heart
Association
to
facilitate
AED
training
programs
for
federal
personnel.
In
announcing
the
FAA
rule
requiring
the
placement
of
AEDs
on
airlines,
President
Clinton
highlighted
the
compelling
story
of
Mike
Tighe,
63.
In
November
1998,
Tighe
suffered
a
cardiac
arrest
while
on
board
an
American
Airlines
flight
from
Boston
to
Los
Angeles.
Nearly
four
hours
into
the
flight,
Tighe's
wife,
a
registered
nurse,
noticed
her
husband
suddenly
slumping
forward
unconscious.
An
alert
flight
attendant
immediately
began
cardiopulmonary
resuscitation
(CPR)
and
used
a
newly
installed
AED.
After
the
fourth
shock,
Mike
Tighe's
heart
restarted
and
his
life
was
saved.
Fortuitously,
the
AED
had
just
been
placed
on
the
aircraft
two
days
before
Mike
Tighe's
flight.
Today,
a
healthy
Mike
Tighe
is
an
active
advocate
for
AED
placement
and
serves
as
the
advocacy
chairman
for
the
American
Heart
Association
in
Vermont.
Lynn
Smaha,
M.D.,
Ph.D.,
president
of
the
American
Heart
Association,
hailed
today's
actions.
"The
President's
announcement
marks
a
major
step
forward
in
saving
the
lives
of
countless
Americans,"
Smaha
said.
Smaha
noted
that
many
airlines
have
already
realized
the
benefits
of
carrying
AEDs
on-board
aircraft
and
have
implemented
successful
AED
programs.
He
also
commended
the
companies
for
their
foresight
in
voluntarily
making
AEDs
available.
"Many
lives
have
been
saved
due
to
these
devices
and
prompt
action
by
well-trained
flight
attendants,"
Smaha
said.
"Thanks
to
the
leadership
of
President
Clinton,
we
are
well
on
our
way
to
making
a
life-saving
difference
for
many
Americans,"
Smaha
concluded.
------
The
American
Heart
Association
spent
more
than
$326
million
during
fiscal
year
1998-1999
on
research
support,
public
and
professional
education,
and
community
programs.
With
more
than
four
million
volunteers,
the
American
Heart
Association
is
the
largest
voluntary
health
organization
fighting
heart
disease,
stroke
and
other
cardiovascular
diseases,
which
annually
kill
approximately
953,000
Americans.
For
more
information
on
AEDs,
visit
our
web
site
at
http://www.americanheart.org.
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