Every year the leading cause of death among Americans is Coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD typically accounts for approximately 466,000 deaths each year with half of those deaths occurring before the patient is able to reach a hospital. According to figures by the American Heart Association, patients who experience a full cardiac arrest in an area where EMS response times are long may have only a 1 to 2 percent chance of survival. With effective bystander CPR and prompt response by EMS survival rates increase to around 30 percent. Through advancements in DSP and portable electronics Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) now allow for a whole new level of care. Prompt action by trained bystanders has led to survival rates approaching 75 percent in some areas employing Public Access Defibrillators (PADs). Rice University uses AEDs on campus and with their assistance Rice EMS has managed to maintain a survival rate of 60 percent for patients in full cardiac arrest while for the greater Houston area it is closer to 12 percent.
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