Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in California Schools Submitted to California State PTA By: Helena Jacobson 2005.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest continues to be the leading cause of death in this country. Each year, more then 400,000 people die, including an estimated 7,000 children. One third of those deaths occur outside of a hospital. Current survival rates are dismal five percent. Because survival from sudden cardiac arrests are time-dependent. Response time for emergency medical services is crucial to a victim's survival. According to the American Heart Association more people survive sudden cardiac arrest when a certain sequence of events happens as quickly as possible. This is referred to as the Chain of Survival. The chain of survival consists of four links:
1) early access to emergency medical services 2) early CPR 3) early defibrillation and 4) early advanced care
When Sudden Cardiac Arrest strikes, it often does so without warning. A cardiac arrest is an electrical disturbance of the heart; it is not a heart attack. The victim immediately loses consciousness, their pulse and stops breathing. Because the heart can no longer pump oxygen to the brain and the rest of their body, the brain begins to die between the fourth to sixth minute. For each minute that passes without defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent. Within 8 to 10 minutes death is imminent. Emergency medical response times average between 6 to 12 minutes nationally. On an average day in the United States, as much as 20 percent of the combined adult and child population can be found in schools according to the National Athletic Trainers Association. A school environment is very much like a mid-sized community populated with students, teachers, staff, coaches, volunteers, parents and visitors. Many communities, public meetings and sporting events are held at schools. Hundreds and thousands of adults, the elderly and young people are consistently filling our campuses for extended periods of time. Making the instance of cardiac arrest a reality for all those people, and while we often do not associate heart disease with young people, it also does happen. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a small portable device that analyses heart rhythms. It offers the user voice prompt instructions, and if determined to be necessary, with one push of a button, can deliver a potentially lifesaving shock to a victim in cardiac arrest. AEDs are safe, effective and easy to use. Studies have shown that sixth-graders can easily use AEDs a mere 23 seconds slower then Emergency Medical Technicians. These life-saving devices are inexpensive and weigh less then seven pounds. In the United States, one out of every 100,000to 300,000 high school athletes will die each year from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Young male athletes between the ages of 15-18 years are particularly at risk. A recent study conducted by the Centers of Disease and Control showed a total of 23,320 young adults died of cardiac arrest between 1989 and 1996 and 460,000 total adults died in the year 1999. California Schools may not yet have a legal obligation to provide a standard of care that provide defibrillation, but they soon will. New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Maine, and many other states have adopted legislation or have statewide voluntary AED programs. In New York state alone seven lives have been saved in the past 2 years. Placement of AEDs on California school campuses will ensure that all students, staff members, parents, teachers and visitors who may suffer a cardiac arrest will have access to an receive the highest standard of care available, defibrillation. The National Heart Lung Blood Institute recently published the findings of a renowned three-year Public Access to Defibrillation study, which concluded that AEDs double a victim's chance at survival. Helping children has always been the core strategy of California State School mission and keeping families together is the best way to ensure a child will succeed in life and in academics as a person with potential and promise. Sudden Cardiac Arrest robs and it steals. It takes parents away from their children and parents away from their children. It leaves us alone. It can strike anywhere, anytime, and to anyone, even a child. The cost of losing a loved one is enormous. The price of implementing and AED program is relatively low. It is time for the State of California to support public access to defibrillation in California schools.
