The Christ Hospital’s Project Heart ReStart is leading the Tristate in a nationwide effort to increase the awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and to support placement of lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the community. Project Heart ReStart is an exciting educational program with the ultimate goal to save more lives from SCA. Each year, SCA claims the lives of more that 330,000 Americans and often occurs without warning. The timely administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation of the heart are the only effective treatments.
What Is Project Heart ReStart?
Project Heart ReStart is a Public Access to Defibrillation (PAD) program which supports placing AEDs throughout the community in public and private locations, where large crowds of people gather or other locations considered high risk for sudden cardiac arrest. The primary goal of the PAD program is to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by shortening the elapsed time from onset of sudden cardiac arrest to defibrillation.
To achieve its lifesaving goal the program strives to raise public awareness of SCA through a broad range of educational and informational efforts and make this lifesaving treatment readily accessible to communities throughout Greater Cincinnati. Accessibility of an AED includes several steps such as regular maintenance (minimal for most devices), strategically located and readily available, personnel trained in its use, and the awareness of local EMS regarding its location.
AEDs are simple to use and although training is strongly preferred, they can be used by anybody. Businesses, schools and other organizations with AEDs are often required to have at least a minimum number of trained staff available. Training is recommended for individuals who work in or near an AED location and who may need to perform CPR and utilize the AED for a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.