AEDS in schools:
How to save a life
Image courtesy of First Aid Accident and Emergency
By Sarah Davison, Industry Reporter
In a country where more than 25,000 people annually face sudden cardiac arrest, Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are important in public spaces.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a time-sensitive medical emergency
With a survival rate averaging just 1 in 10, the accessibility of AEDs becomes a pivotal factor in determining the outcome of a critical situation. The availability of an AED at your school can mean the difference between life and death for staff, parents, students or passers-by who suffer a sudden cardiac event.
school staff to become first responders before paramedics arrive. Sudden cardiac arrest is a time-sensitive medical emergency, and immediate intervention is crucial for a positive outcome. Early access to CPR and defibrillation increase a patient’s chance of survival, so ensuring an AED is accessible to staff and students is important.
One of the primary reasons defibrillators are essential in schools is the rapid response, enabling educators and other
In a medical emergency, a defibrillator checks the heart rhythm and can apply a measured electric shock to
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Conversely, without early defibrillation with an AED, less than five percent of cardiac arrest victims survive to be discharged from hospital. And while ambulances are often able to quickly respond in metro areas, for schools in regional or remote areas, having an AED on hand could be the difference between life or death.
restore the heart to its normal rhythm. It will only deliver a shock if necessary, which means first responders cannot hurt someone by using a defibrillator.
Having an AED available on site is a positive first step. Ensuring all educators, staff and school volunteers are trained in basic first aid as well as when to use an AED is essential.
Early CPR and access to a defibrillator can significantly increase the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. In fact, defibrillation within the first few minutes of having a sudden cardiac arrest increases the chance of survival to more than 70 percent.
Alarmingly, recent Heart Foundation research showed more than half of Aussies wouldn’t feel confident stepping in if they witnessed someone having a cardiac event. The survey of 7000-plus Australians also found a lack of awareness about AEDs.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Term 1, 2024 | school-news.com.au