Missouri needs more AEDs

To the editor:

As a sudden cardiac arrest survivor and health-care professional, I am deeply concerned that President Bush has proposed eliminating an important federal program to place automated external defibrillators in many communities and rural areas. I know firsthand that immediate CPR and early defibrillation using an AED can more than double a victim's chance of survival.

The Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program administered under Health Resources and Services Administration provides grants to Missouri and other states to purchase and place AEDs in public places where cardiac arrests are likely to occur. The program also provides training to lay rescuers and first responders. The American Heart Association notes that survival rates are as high as 40 percent in communities with aggressive AED placement.

We need more AEDs in Missouri, especially in rural areas where the nearest ambulance could be miles away from a cardiac arrest victim. In order to significantly reduce death from cardiac arrests, this program must be fully funded.

CATHY TANKHOFF, Registered Nurse, Past-president, American Hearth Association Board, Cape Girardeau