[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 49 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                DEFIBRILLATORS IN ALACHUA COUNTY SCHOOLS

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                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 20, 2005

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance and 
effectiveness of defibrillators. Heart disease kills more than 250,000 
Americans each year and many of these deaths result from sudden cardiac 
arrest, SCA. The most effective treatment for SCA is immediate 
defibrillation, in which thousands of lives are saved. Recognizing this 
years ago, I had the honor of working with the American Heart 
Association, AHA, in developing legislation addressing SCA. This 
cooperation led to the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act. Now, I am pleased 
to see that the AHA is donating, to Alachua County, Florida, 
defibrillators to be placed in each public school in Alachua County. 
The move comes in light of two incidents earlier this school year, in 
which area high school students collapsed. In Florida, nearly 12,800 
people suffer a cardiac arrest each year, and 95 percent of them die. 
AHA's goal is to increase the survival rate from 5 to 20 percent and I 
support and stand behind them in reaching this end.

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