Automated External Defibrillators Sudden cardiac death is an extremely rare event in athletes. None the less, it is occurs approximately 1500 times annually across the country. Hank Gathers, Reggie Lewis, Pete Maravich, Jason Colliers, Maggie Dixon, Corey Stringer are but a few of the most notable athletes affected by this condition.. Unfortunately, the majority of deaths are among young high school age athletes without any prior history of heart conditions. Until such time that large scale screenings are in place, we feel that our only hope is the rapid availability of Automated External Defibrillators. AED’s along with CPR are our most important weapon in the fight against this killer of our young athletes. If readily available, they are simple to use and provide excellent recovery rates. Survival rates with immediate CPR and defibrillation decreases 10% for every minute wasted. That is, if an AED is used in the first minute the survival rate is 90%, 2 minutes 80%, 3 min 70%, etc. If an AED is not available, CPR is the only option with a survival rate of only 18%. We at the Texas Sports Medicine Foundation are working closely with the Texas State Legislature, School officials, corporate leaders and our sponsors to educate the public about the importance of AED’s. We are also working diligently, with the help of Governor Rick Perry and State Senator Jane Nelson, to pass a Bill mandating the availability of AED’s at all high school sporting events in Texas. To that end, TSMF and our corporate sponsors will provide each public and private high school athletic department, if they cannot afford one, with their first AED from Philips (the World leader in AED sales). The gifted AED is not intended to be used in addition to others that the school may already have, nor is it intended to be used for any other venue than athletic events. We do not feel that it is our responsibility to provide any school additional AED’s when so many other schools do not have any. It is recommended that this AED be kept with the athletic trainer or in the athletic director’s office if the school does not have a trainer, and in close proximity to the athletic venues. Education on how to use the AED can be provided by the manufacturer or the local chapter of the American Heart Association. Texas Sports Medicine Foundation is a non-profit organization made up of physicians, professional athletes and corporate leaders, with a mission to educate, protect and aid underprivileged high school athletes through out the state of Texas.   (print this page)