TORINO, Italy — The Defibtech Lifeline AED(R) (automated external defibrillator) has been chosen for deployment at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, company officials announced today. The 148 Defibtech Lifeline AEDs purchased for the Games have been distributed among Olympic venues in Torino and neighboring towns in Italy’s Piedmont region.
The organizer of health care and emergency services at the Games, Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) No. 5, chose the Defibtech AEDs due to its satisfaction with past purchases, said Defibtech President Gintaras Vaisnys. “Deploying AEDs at the Games is a wise safety measure, considering the many people attending and the high incidence of sudden cardiac arrest,” he explained. According to the Games’ official Web site, more than 1 million people are expected to attend the Games. Experts estimate that as many as 1 in 600 people in the world suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year. “The bottom line is that the Torino Winter Olympics will be a safer place because our defibrillators will be protecting spectators and athletes alike,” Vaisnys said.
Gianfranco Buchbinder, Defibtech’s vice president of international sales, said “the service and training delivered along with our AEDs will provide for a comprehensive deployment solution in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.”
Being chosen for the Olympics is the latest of several major achievements for Defibtech over the past several months. Last year, more than 2,600 Defibtech AEDs were purchased by the state of New Jersey for deployment in police and fire vehicles, one of the largest public deployments of AEDs on record. This winter the Defibtech AED also was chosen by The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City for inclusion in its SAFE: Design Takes On Risk exhibit.
AEDs revive victims of sudden cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. Health experts estimate that sudden cardiac arrest kills about 400,000 people in the United States and millions of people worldwide each year. Studies show that if victims are defibrillated within a minute or two after arrest, more than 70 percent survive. If defibrillation is delayed for more than 10 minutes, only 5 percent live, making immediate access to AEDs vital.
According to two different research studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, deaths from sudden cardiac arrest can be prevented with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) placed in public areas, such as the Olympic venues. These studies proved that public-access AEDs increase the number of survivors from sudden cardiac arrest.
About Defibtech
Defibtech relentlessly pursues one goal: making the best automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the world at affordable prices. Defibtech designs and manufactures the FDA-approved Lifeline(R) and ReviveR(TM) brand AEDs and related accessories including pediatric defibrillation pads. Defibtech’s products and services, including the turnkey AED management program DefibtechMD, are sold through its network of distribution partners in the United States and around the world. Founded in 1999, Defibtech is headquartered in Guilford, Conn., and manufactures all of its defibrillators in the United States in a state-of-the-art ISO-9001 certified facility. The company also has CE Marking approval and ISO 13485 certification. For more information about Defibtech and its products, visit www.defibtech.com or call 1-866-DEFIB-4-U (1-866-333-4248).