HOUSTON- When a person goes into cardiac arrest, the response within the first few minutes can determine whether the person lives or dies.
Taking this into mind, Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia has authorized the purchase of 10 Automated External
Defibrillators (AEDs) for installation at county buildings.
These AEDs are designed to be used with only a minimal amount of training and have been shown to be essential in first response first aid situations.
Our goal is to protect the lives of our citizens and our employees, said Garcia. Having defibrillators installed on site, particularly in buildings used frequently by our seniors may help us save lives.
According to the American Heart Association, Early defibrillation is often the critical link, because its the only way to successfully treat most cardiac arrests. When cardiac arrest occurs, the heart starts to beat chaotically (fibrillation) and cant pump blood efficiently. Time is critical. If a normal heart rhythm isnt restored within minutes, the person will die. In fact, for every minute without defibrillation, the odds of survival decrease 7 to 10 percent. A sudden cardiac arrest victim who isnt defibrillated with 10 minutes has virtually no chance of survival.
On the east side of the county, AEDs have also been installed at the Highlands/San Jacinto, J.D. Walker and Riley Chambers/ Barrett Station Community Centers, as well as the courthouse annex on Baker Road in Baytown.