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School Health understands the challenges schools face in getting funding for your AED programs. We've worked with elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities to put life-saving AEDs in place, even in times of tight budgeting.Learn More about how to get funding for your school.
An effective AED Management Program can increase legal compliance and make your job easier while enhancing the effectiveness of your first responders.
An effective AED Management Program will ensure the following:
It is important to identify an individual within your school to be responsible for maintaining the AEDs. This person will confirm the devices are ready to use when a rescue is required, and will replace supplies as needed.
Learn more about how to successfully maintain your AEDs.
School Health offers competitive pricing on AED accessories for all major brands of AEDs. Shop our assortment of accessories to support your AED program.
You can also call us at 866-323-5465 or send an email to customerservice@schoolhealth.com!
Effective AED programs are designed to deliver shock within 3-5 minutes of collapse. Following are 3 tips to ensure you are able to provide help in time.
AEDs are a very important part of the total response to sudden cardiac arrest in the community. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and it claims approximately 365,000 lives in North America each year. Most commonly this sudden cardiac arrest, or stoppage of the heart, occurs because of an electrical event. Automatic External Defibrillators in the community allow us to get that shock into a patient quickly. So people, such as bystander or lay individuals, can give live-saving treatment and get that heart started again even before the emergency medical personnel can arrive. Survival is directly linked to the time interval between the SCA and the first AED shock delivered to the victim. Statistics validate that when a shock is delivered within one minute, survival rates can increase seventeen fold from 5% (by relying on EMS only to respond) to levels as high as 86% in some cases.2
Time is the most important element in saving an SCA victim.Even the best EMS systems have difficulty arriving "in time." They average nine minutes3which is often "too late." Because AEDs can be used by nearly anyone, widespread deployment in public places, including; schools, businesses, airports and sporting events, gives SCA victims the best chance of survival. '
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a specific four-step "Chain-of-Survival" for SCA. The hallmarks of this sequence which are well documented as dramatically increasing survival rates are:
Almost anyone can use an AED. Today's AED analyzes the victim's condition and, if necessary, delivers an electric shock to the heart to restore a patient's heart rhythm. It is not possible to deliver a shock to a patient if they don't need it. AEDs ONLY provide a defibrillating shock to the victim if the victim's heart rhythm meets SCA characteristics. So AEDs help those in that unique situation - and only provide therapy (or "shock") if the patient requires it. Trained clinicians use manual defibrillators.
AEDs are designed for use by virtually anyone with minimal training. Look for AEDs that provide text screens that run in tandem with voice prompts - especially important in chaotic, noisy environments. As well, an AED that provides audible CPR coaching will assist with setting the appropriate pace for proper chest compression. All of these features, of the AED, contribute to effectively manage and guide the rescuer through a stressful situation. Listen and do.
Effective AED programs are designed to deliver a shock to a victim within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse. When deciding where to place AEDs, use a 3-minute response time as a guideline to help you determine how many AEDs you need and where to place them -(One and a half minutes to get to an AED and 1 1/2 to return to the victim). Schools should determine if there are places on-site where the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest may be higher, such as fitness areas and areas used for sports, or areas that are hard to reach quickly. Also consider areas where many people gather, such as gymnasiums, classrooms, cafeterias and main offices. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Once you know the answers to these questions, it will be easier for you to decide where to place AEDs.4
All 50 states have Good Samaritan laws with language about AEDs. These laws typically involve three main elements: medical direction (a licensed physician to oversee your program), training, and record keeping/tracking (of device serial numbers and locations, battery expiration dates, etc.).
Additionally, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act signed by President Clinton in 2000 provides AED users and acquirers with liability protection. In fact, with AEDs becoming common safety devices, schools could be at risk for not having these devices on site.
State and local requirements for AED programs play an important role in setting program constraints. Most states specify what type of responder training is expected, how to work with state and local EMS, and how to maintain or renew the AED program. Be aware of these key requirements as you start implementation:
Myth: You can accidentally over "shock" a victim, or shock them when they don't need it
Fact: AEDs will not administer "therapy" unless it assesses the victim requires it
Myth: You can hurt someone by administering defibrillation therapy
Fact: The victim is in cardiac arrest and is essentially dead; your only action is to administer the AED and CPR
In most cases, simple CPR and AED training is all that is required. For example, the American Heart Association offers the Heartsaver AED course, which can be completed in less than four hours. Training requirements vary from state to state.
Upon request, Cardiac Science will work with you to best deploy your AEDs based on your specific needs and budget. Of course, even one AED is much better than having none at all. We strongly encourage you to have one or more AEDs on hand.
It is important to identify an individual within your school to be responsible for maintaining the AEDs. This person will confirm the devices are ready to use when a rescue is required, and will replace supplies as needed. Since every unit may be different, refer to your AED user's manual for specific directions on daily and weekly scheduled maintenance.
Following is a listing of suggested maintenance for your AED units.
PEARS was developed by the American Heart Association for people who do not deal frequently with critically ill children. They needed a program that would help providers know how to respond to critical first few minutes and feel confident in doing it, even if they don't do it every day. This program is well geared for school nurses and can help them to assess, categorize, decide, and act early to stabilize a child in severe cardiopulmonary distress.
1 http://budurl.com/ChainofSurvival
2 http://www.sdprojectheartbeat.com/pages/aboutus.htm
3 Mosesso VN Jr, Davis EA, Auble TE, Paris PM, Yealy DM. Use of automated external defibrillators by police officers for treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Ann Emerg Med. 1998;32:200-207.
4 American Heart Association AED Implementation Guide, 2004