George K.
Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical failure of the heart that causes the heart to stop pumping blood effectively. This can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, unconsciousness and abnormal breathing. Sudden cardiac arrest can affect people of any age, from high school students to the elderly in nursing homes, even athletes. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) also reports that about 10,000 become victims of SCA when at work[1].
According to American Red Cross, SCA is one of the top causes of deaths in the U.S. with over 350,000 cardiac arrest cases reported every year[2]. Emergency use of a durable AED device during a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) increases the survival chances of patients by 60 percent[3]. Otherwise, with each passing moment, the survival rate of the patient reduces by 10 percent[4]. Such startling statistics increase the importance of durable AEDs for emergency treatment at public places like gyms, fitness centers, offices, market places, homes, etc.
The statistics reveal much about the need to keep AED (automated external defibrillator) devices at fitness and gym centers. On top of it, the fitness center should have trained professionals who can give immediate AED treatment to patients before the emergency aid arrives.
What does an AED device do to the heart?
During a cardiac arrest, there is a disruption in the heart’s rhythms (or electrical activity) that increases heartbeat to an unsafe limit. The irregular heartbeat (also known as ventricular fibrillation) or fast heartbeat (also known as ventricular tachycardia) that usually occurs during strenuous exercise leads to cardiac arrest where the heart cannot effectively pump blood and may stop functioning altogether.
Every passing minute decreases the survival of the patient because the brain and other vital organs run short of oxygen. Thus, an AED is regarded as an emergency life-saving device to analyse a patient’s heart rhythm and decide whether deliver an electric shock via chest to the dying heart. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is used to ensure blood keeps flowing to the heart, brain and other vital organs to make you survive until emergency aid arrives.
A durable AED in gym and fitness centers is advanced equipment that usually equips with a remote management system via IoT technology to let the owner be aware of all the AED’s working status on desktop. It also allows remote emergency health care to instruct according to rescue operation data via cloud share.
Top 4 reasons why gym and fitness center need an AED machine
There are also vital reasons to tell why your fitness center or gym needs a durable AED. Fitness centers or gyms with AEDs are more reliable and especially gain trust from those who are suffering from blood pressure and cardiac issues.
1. Automatic AEDs Can Increase Survival Chances
A report carried by Richard L. Page shows that exercise centers without automated external defibrillators had significantly lower chances of survival after cardiac arrest compared with those that have a durable AED device. Thus, keeping an AED device and a trained professional who knows how to use an AED in your gym or fitness center can help a cardiac arrest patient survive. This is designed to convey to your customers that you are taking care of their health.
2. Strenuous Workouts Increase The Risk of SCA
Basically, strenuous workouts and exertion can increase the risk of SCA, especially in over-aged patients with an unhealthy lifestyle or for genetic reasons. Moreover, a 2013 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology concluded that around 16% of SCAs in Seattle were reported at fitness centers during their 12-year research[5].
We are told that exercise reduces heart risk significantly in the long-run, but famous trainer Bob Harper suffers a cardiac arrest during his gym sessions. He was able to survive due to immediate AED assistance at the gym[6].
Therefore, more people now prefer gym and fitness centers with AEDs and immediate first aid facilities.
3. Might Be Mandatory Due to State Laws
With increasing SCA risks, most of the states necessitate the possession of AEDs in gyms, fitness centers, offices, and more. Moreover, when you register your AED with the state health care officials, you are also bound to have trained staff to understand the usage of AEDs.
If you do not keep an AED at your fitness center, it is thought of you to be inconsiderate and insensitive towards the safety and welfare of your members.
On top of it, would you be able to live with the guilt of not having the equipment to make a SCA victim survive?
4. Have a Liability Protection
Having a durable AED at your center will make you less responsible for the loss of grieving families. You can have low insurance liability because grieving families have a lesser chance to file a lawsuit against a center with immediate medical aid.
Which AED is Right for Your gym or fitness center?
A semi/fully automated AED helps you through the resuscitation rescue operation. Even if you are doing it the first time, a durable AED evaluates based on heart rhythm analysis and automatically decides whether a shock is required or not. With advanced management systemsAEDscan also be remotely monitored to let you be aware of their working condition from the battery to other factors. Furthermore, the reports of AED operation during an emergency with the health expert can be shared by an advanced AED management system in the cloud.
Therefore, choosing a reliable defibrillator to buy online is essential to increase the chances of jolting back to life a dying heart! Mindray AED is our trusted option to buy a defibrillator online.
Conclusion
All in all, AEDs are life-savers and patients with cardiac issues prefer fitness and gym centers that truly care for their health. Not only can AED save a life, but it can save you from the guilt of being responsible for a decreasing soul.
References:
[1] Saving Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victims in the Workplace. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3185.pdf ((Accessed: 22 March 2021)
[2] About Cardiac Arrest. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-arrest/about-cardiac-arrest (Accessed: 22 March 2021)
[3] Saving Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victims in the Workplace. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3185.pdf ((Accessed: 22 March 2021)
[4] Survival after Application of Automatic External Defibrillators before Arrival of the Emergency Medical System. Journal of the American College of Cardiology Volume 55, Issue 16, 20 April 2010, Pages 1713-1720. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3008654/ (Accessed: 22 March 2021)
[5] Cardiac Arrest at Exercise Facilities: Implications for Placement of Automated External Defibrillators. Journal of the American College of Cardiology Volume 52, Issue 22, December 2013, Pages 2102-2109. Available at: https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2013.06.048 (Accessed: 22 March 2021)
[6] Here’s Why People Die Each Year in Gyms (and How to Prevent It From Happening to You). Available at: https://www.health.com/condition/heart-disease/cardiac-arrest-gym-aed-bob-harper (Accessed: 22 March 2021)
