ST. LOUIS — February is American Heart Month, and the American Heart Association is working to push legislation that will improve access to automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in schools and public places, increasing the survival rate of cardiac arrests outside of hospitals.
More than 350,000 people have experienced cardiac arrests outside of a hospital, including 23,000 children, according to the American Heart Association. Around 40% of children under the age of 189 experience a cardiac arrest that is sports-related.
In hopes the legislation is passed, AEDs will become increasingly available in schools as 70% of children survive cardiac arrests where they are already accessible.
The American Heart Association also encourages CPR courses and a cardiac emergency response plan, which they say increases survival rates from cardiac arrests by 50%.
Join the American Heart Association on May 31 for the Metro St. Louis Heart Walk and bring awareness to heart health in the St. Louis region.