It has been 20 years since AED, a medical device that delivers an electric shock to people suffering from cardiac arrest due to heart abnormalities such as myocardial infarction, became available to the general public.


A group made up of doctors and others has revealed that more than 7,000 people have been saved by AEDs.

AED is a medical device that restores the heart's movement to normal by administering an electric shock to a person whose heart has stopped. It has been approved for use by the general public since July 2004, and more than 600,000 AEDs have been installed nationwide. .



The Japan AED Foundation, made up of doctors, compiled data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Fire and Disaster Management Agency and found that the number of people saved by AEDs will reach 7,656 by the end of 2022.



The number of people saved has temporarily decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has been increasing year by year, with 618 people being saved in 2022.



However, only 4.3% of people who collapse in front of others are treated with an AED, and the Foundation is calling for its active use.

Hideo Mitamura, Chairman of the Japan AED Foundation, said, ``It is groundbreaking that more than 7,000 lives were saved by citizens using AEDs.'' Lives could have been saved if they had waited for the emergency services, which takes an average of 10 minutes, to arrive. "The key to saving lives is how quickly the people at the scene use the AED."

Man who was saved: ``I want to cherish the life that was saved.''

Misao Ono (75) from Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture, suddenly collapsed shortly after starting to play tennis on a court in the city in August 2022.



Miyo Hatazawa and others who were playing tennis with the group ran up and called for him, but there was no response, so they called 119.



Naomasa Ikeda, who rushed in from another court, asked someone nearby to go get an AED from the entrance of the gymnasium and began chest compressions.



A few minutes later, the AED arrived and I applied the pads and pressed the shock button according to the device's voice.

After that, he continued chest compressions while taking turns with other people, and by the time the emergency services arrived 10 minutes after the call, Ono's heart was already beating.



Mr. Ono was taken to the hospital and was discharged three weeks later, and has been living his life as before with no aftereffects.

Mr. Ikeda, who performed the life-saving treatment, said, ``I was completely absorbed in following the instructions of the AED and checking it with everyone.I had attended several training sessions, so it immediately occurred to me that an AED was necessary. ” he says.



Mr. Ono, who was saved, said, ``I heard from the doctor that his life was saved because the treatment he received right after he collapsed.I want to cherish the life that was saved through everyone's wonderful cooperation.''