The heart of a person who experiences a sudden cardiac arrest stops beating. This prevents blood to flow to the vital organs of the body such as the brain. If timely assistance is not provided to the victim, death may occur. In some cases, permanent disability occurs that makes the person dependent on others.

Every second count after a person experiences a sudden cardiac arrest. The survival of a person reduces by ten percent after every five minutes. In this situation, automated external defibrillator (AED) can serve as a life-saving device.

In this article, we will explain why having an AED is important in schools, and how it can save lives of students and non-students who experience a sudden cardiac arrest.

Importance of AEDs in School Explained

AED is a portable device that is used in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a heart attack victim. Every year more than 7,000 young individuals in the US needlessly lose life due to a sudden heart attack. Young athletes die every three days mostly due to a heart attack. These statistics clearly show the importance of AEDs in the schools.

Every school in the state must have an AED device within the premises. The device can help save lives of students who experience a heart attack on the premises. Providing appropriate training to the staff and enrolling them in an AED certification course, can prove highly effective in saving lives.

However, only 17 states in the US have made it mandatory for schools to have AEDs. Majority of the schools do not have the device that could potentially be a lifesaver. It can help prevent death and ensure that the student does not suffer from a lifelong disability.

A study conducted by scholars at the University of Washington had found that around 64 percent of the victims who had experienced sudden cardiac arrest in the school having an AED survived. This clearly shows the importance of the device in saving the life of the individual.

Conclusion

AED should be made mandatory in every school. The device is a lifesaver that can help save the life of the victim. Installing the device will help ensure that a heart attack victim receives timely assistance. It’s is vital that one or more staff should have AED certification to ensure that timely help is provided to the victim.

An AED certification will enable a person to provide professional help in case of a heart attack. It can ensure that the right techniques are used when using the device to perform CPR. An advantage of an AED and first aid certification is that the school won’t have to hire a professional doctor. Any person can take AED and CPR certification course. This will help reduce the overheads and ensure that professional help is always available to help in the emergency situation.