DAN Training & Education
Automated External Defibrillators for Aquatic Emergencies

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This course represents entry-level training designed to educate the general diving (and qualified non-diving) public to better recognize the warning signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and administer first aid using Basic Life Support techniques and Automated External Defibrillators while activating the local emergency medical services, (EMS) and / or arranging for evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility.

• In the United States, sudden cardiac arrest claims more than 225,000 to 250,000 lives a year, according to the American Heart Association.
• Ninety three percent of the people involved in a submersion incident die from cardiac arrest.

Most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation. There are several causes of ventricular fibrillation including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Drowning
• Hypothermia
• Electrical shock

The only definitive treatment for ventricular fibrillation is defibrillation. This course teaches lay-providers to use an automated external defibrillator to defibrillate a fibrillating heart and restore a normal rhythm.