SAN RAMON, CA -- The San Ramon Valley may be one of the safest places to experience a cardiac emergency in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke and other heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States. Recent data has shown that patients who experience sudden cardiac arrest are far more likely to survive if that episode occurs in the San Ramon Valley.
Nationally, if you experience a sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, your chances of surviving hovers around 8.5 percent. [i] In the San Ramon Valley, your chance of survival is two times higher at 17.9 percent. Valley residents have an even greater occurrence of survival if someone witnesses their cardiac emergency and their heart is able to be shocked by an AED (automated external defibrillator), in this scenario the likelihood of survival increases to 46.9 percent versus 26.3 percent nationwide. [ii]
“We are very proud of our cardiac arrest survival statistics,” said Fire Chief Paige Meyer. “We attribute our success to many factors including our 911 Communication Center which utilizes Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD), our rigorous paramedic training program, state of the art equipment on all our fire engines and ambulances, and our community outreach program that teaches hands-only CPR to over 2,000 residents each year.”
“As a sudden cardiac arrest survivor and advocate for bystander CPR and AED use, I know the importance of rapid quality care,” said Joe Farrell, a Danville resident. “I am proud to live in a community that takes such pride in their level of patient care and I rest easy at night knowing I’m safer simply because I live here.”
References
[i] Valderrama, Amy, L, PhD (2011). Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Surveillance --- Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2-36
[ii] According to Contra Costa County EMS and the CDC CARES report San Ramon Valley Fire presented the following data for the 2012 calendar year:
Overall Survival rate: 17.9%
Utstein Survival rate: (Bystander witnessed, shockable): 46.9.%
Bystander CPR: 53%
SOURCE: San Ramon Valley Fire Protection Emergency Medical Services