Morrison gets shocking addition: Defibrillator can help victims of cardiac arrest
When someone’s heart stops, mere seconds can make the difference between life and death. In fact, studies have shown that for every minute defibrillation is delayed, survival rates decrease 7 to 10 percent.
To prepare for such an event at their school, officials at Morrison Elementary, with financial assistance from United Steelworkers of America Local 1155, have purchased an automated external defibrillator, a portable device which can restore heart rhythm to sudden cardiac arrest victims.
And while it’s something they hope they will never have to use, officials say they are relieved to have the device.
“We hope it stays dusty and we never have to use it, but it’s a comfort having it just in case,” said Morrison Elementary nurse Cheryl Kelly.
Automated external defibrillators, which are smaller than laptop computers, are somewhat similar to the manual defibrillators used in ambulances and hospitals. Instead of using paddles to deliver shocks, an AED does so automatically using patches attached to a victim’s chest.
In obtaining the device, Morrison becomes only the second school in the county, in addition to Warren County High School, to own an AED. Congress recently passed a bill encouraging defibrillation devices in all schools.
Earlier this summer, American Heart Association instructor and River Park Hospital ICU nurse Joan Wilson trained the school’s safety team on the operation of the life-saving apparatus.
But the process is so simple, Kelly said, that anyone can use AEDs, which were designed for use by non-medical personnel. Once opened, the device gives audible step-by-step instructions to users. If the machine determines a shock is necessary, it automatically administers one at a level of intensity it determines to be appropriate for the victim.
Because Morrison Elementary is used not only by students and faculty, but also a sizable number of community residents, the AED will be placed in the entry hallway to the school’s gymnasium, an area used at nearly every large gathering taking place at the school such as ball games and festivals.
Local 1155 president Ron Vining and financial secretary Van Tenpenny said the union was more than happy to donate the $2,000 needed to purchase the AED.