Whereas heart disease affects men, women, and children of
every age and race in the United States, and it continues to be the leading
cause of death in America;
Whereas approximately 295,000 emergency medical
services-treated out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually
nationwide;
Whereas only 8 percent of individuals who suffer a sudden
cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting survive;
Whereas sudden cardiac arrest results from an abnormal
heart rhythm in most adults, often ventricular fibrillation;
Whereas, unfortunately, only 31 percent of out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest victims receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR);
Whereas individuals can die of sudden cardiac arrest
within minutes, and rapid response to sudden cardiac arrest with both CPR and
an automated external defibrillator (AED) are critical in helping a victim
survive;
Whereas prompt delivery of CPR more than doubles the
victim’s chance of survival by helping to maintain vital blood flow to the
heart and brain, increasing the amount of time in which an electric shock from
a defibrillator may be effective;
Whereas, moreover, an AED, even when used by a bystander,
is safe, easy to operate, and, if used immediately after the onset of sudden
cardiac arrest, highly effective in terminating ventricular fibrillation so the
heart can resume a normal, effective rhythm;
Whereas for every minute without bystander CPR, survival
from witnessed cardiac arrest decreases 7 to 10 percent; and
Whereas the interval between the 911 telephone call and
the arrival of emergency medical services personnel is usually longer than 5
minutes; therefore, a cardiac arrest victim’s survival is likely to depend on a
public trained in CPR and AED use and access to these lifesaving measures: Now,
therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)encourages
individuals to seek training in the use of CPR and AEDs; and
(2)encourages
bystanders to use hands-only CPR and AEDs for the purpose of saving the life of
another person in cardiac arrest.