Cardiac arrest rates remained poor in the United States because in most cases lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are often too far away from victims, according to a new research.

The new research, by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, found that in more than 75 per cent of cases victims of cardiac arrest are unable to reach the far away lifesaving defibrillators.

As many as one million AEDs have been sold across the country to be installed at important public places such as schools, airports, casinos, recreation centers, gymnasiums and shopping malls.

But, the research found that only 7 per cent of cardiac arrests took place within a 200 feet radius of an AED, while around 10 per cent per cent happened within 400-foot radius. Twenty-one per cent of cardiac arrests happened within 600-foot radius.

It is important to note here that a victim’s chances of survival fall by around 10 per cent with each minute that slips without CPR and defibrillation.

The study’s senior author Dr. Raina Merchant said, “Despite thousands of them in the community, our results show they are usually not readily available during cardiac arrests.”

The research revealed why, despite CPR and AED awareness campaigns, cardiac arrest rates remained below 10 per cent in the country.

The research was presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s recently held annual meeting.