New Jersey might have recently released a legislation that would make it mandatory for schools to have an AED unit available and readily accessing by 2014 , they are actually not the first one to have thought of doing so. Since 2011, the state of Oregon already had a bill that makes it mandatory for schools – public, private, and charter, to have an AED unit in their establishment by 2015.
Also known as the Senate Bill 1033, the AED law makes it mandatory for all schools to have on premise at least one AED unit on the school premises. This bill came about after a number of cases involving sudden cardiac arrest not only in school staff but also among students. This is aside from the fact that, according to statistics, about 450,000 people in the US alone fall victim to sudden cardiac arrest. That being the case, studies have shown that the best way to handle cases of sudden cardiac arrest is to ensure that defibrillation shock is administered to the patient about three to five minutes as he or she loses consciousness. This is in accordance with the recent published guidelines from the American Heart Association. Aside from having an AED in schools, specific school officials are also required to undergo training in the administration of CPR.
The AED, or the Automated External Defibrillator, is a portable device typically used in cases of cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. In most cases, the devices come with visual and audio instructions that can help a lay person administer the needed electric shocks as well as perform CPR in order to revive the patient or, at least, simulate artificial blood circulation in the victim while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Keep in mind that both the use of AED and CPR is aimed at restoring blood circulation. This is to ensure that tissue death is prevented since tissue death in major organs could verily lead to the victim’s death. Having said that, every minute that passes is, therefore, vital to making the difference between the victim being able to survive and the patient dying.
Laws on the use of AED have been put in place for quite some time now. Some of these laws mandates the presence of an AED unit in the institution while some make it possible for organizations to be protected from liabilities. A good example of the latter is the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act which protects AED users and acquirers from any liability in connection with its use in order to revive a victim.
AEDs might still be costly for most educational institution but, as some people would comment, you practically cannot put a price tag on a person’s life. To this end, parents and even teachers have given what they financially could in order to ensure that there is at least one AED unit in their respective school grounds.
If you would like to know more about how you can save a person’s life, one of your options would be to undergo the CPR training and certification program being offered by Citywide CPR.
