Dentalcompare
Clinical Director
This week, our office had our bi-annual CPR training. We always look forward to this event since our instructor is just fantastic, and they seem to change the rules on us every few years anyway. It seems this time, they are looking to focus on chest compressions, and getting them started within the first 10 seconds of seeing someone drop to the floor.
During the class, he mentioned a statistic that made me wonder if any of these methods matter anyway. Apparently, around 5% of people who receive CPR alone without any advanced care actually survive the incident. Let’s say someone in my office suddenly drops from an issue like ventricular fibrillation, and the EMT’s don’t get there within the first few minutes. The CPR that me or my staff will administer will, on average, not work at all.
However, if we have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in our office, that person has almost a 74% chance of coming back for another appointment. We actually do have one, and it’s in a central location that everyone can access quickly. Everyone knows how to use it, but it still comes with a computerized voice to give you idiot-proof instructions.
Last I checked, only Illinois, Mississippi, and Massachusetts were mandating that every dental practice in the state have an AED in the office. For the rest of the 47 states, there is no excuse not to have one. Increasing someone’s chance of survival from 5% to 74% should be compelling enough.
So… what are you waiting for?