At a training session open to the press Thursday afternoon, the Hoboken School District unveiled seven new Automated External Defibrillators (AED). All six Hoboken school principals and nurses learned how to use the new equipment and learned the basics about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). A total of seven Medtronic Life-Pak CR Plus AEDs have been received and will be placed in the principal’s office of each Hoboken school, and one at the athletic field.
AED’s have recently received front page news coverage in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, TV and numerous other media sources. The American Heart Association, along with numerous other organizations, have highly recommended AEDs for households, businesses, and schools. The American Heart Association estimates that 40,000 lives are saved annually though the use of AEDs out of the 250,000 people who die from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) every year. Each unit costs about $2,100.
For every minute that goes by, a victim’s chance of survival decreases by 7 to 10 percent without defibrillation. After 10 minutes, it is unlikely that the person will survive.
On average, it takes at least 6 minutes for emergency help to arrive on the scene, and that does not include the time from collapse to call, as well as other potential delays.
There is no age limit to SCA. It can strike young children, athletes, the middle-aged and the elderly. In fact, most SCA victims have never shown any prior symptoms of heart disease.
What is special about these defibrillators is that they can give audible instructions to the user. The AED will analyze the heart rhythm and advise the operator if a shockable rhythm is detected. If the rhythm is detected, the AED will charge to the appropriate energy level and advise the operator to deliver a shock.
The American Heart Association publication “Circulation” says that AEDs are safe to administer to children as young as 1. An AED can increase the survival rate to over 74 percent.
“The goal is to have three people in each school trained in both the use of the defibrillator and CPR,” said Joseph Miele, AED program supervisor.
Superintendent of Schools Patrick Gagliardi added that the new equipment is welcomed in the schools.
“Our faculty, already eager to learn how to use the equipment, has the necessary tools that can possibly save the life of a student,” said Gagliardi.
According to Miele, an AED is used to treat victims who are unconscious, without a pulse, to restore circulation and normal breathing.