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School districts get defibrillators |
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Thursday, 03 July 2008 |
An $11,000 donation from the Saline Memorial Auxiliary is helping Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton enhance security and safety in school districts in Saline County.An $11,000 donation from the Saline Memorial Auxiliary is helping Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton enhance security and safety in school districts in Saline County.
SMH representatives Wednesday presented two automated external defibrillators to superintendents from each of the county’s four districts.
This type of defibrillator — known commonly as an AED — is a small, portable device that can send an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart. It provides brief, powerful stimulation, interrupting ventricular fibrillation, and helps restore the heart’s natural rhythm. In essence, the use of an AED can restore a person’s heart rhythm to normal levels before emergency crews arrive.
The devices potentially can save — and have been reported every year to have saved — the lives of thousands of students who experience sudden cardiac arrest, said Rebecca Jones, SMH director of marketing and community relations.
Speaking at Wednesday’s ceremony were Randy Fortner, chief executive officer of SMH; Yvonne Hendrix, a Benton resident whose children are enrolled in the Benton School District; and Dr. Richard Abernathy, superintendent of the Bryant School District.
Fortner noted that presenting the AEDs to the school districts “is clearly within the mission of this hospital.”
“This is about safety,” he said. “The presence of these AEDs will add another level of security for the Saline County school districts.
“We hope these donations will highlight the need for greater adoption of lifesaving technology at public venues,” he said.
Fortner commended the SMH Auxiliary for making it possible for the school districts to receive the AEDS and thus enhance safety at school-related events.
Expressing appreciation from a parent’s perspective was Yvonne Hendrix, who has two children involved in sports programs in the Benton district.
In acknowledging the gift, Abernathy noted that he and state Sen. Shane Broadway were attending an event in the Mena School District where an individual experienced cardiac arrest and was saved through the use of an AED.
“On any given day, one of these devices could end up saving a student in a classroom, a coach at a basketball game or a grandparent attending graduation ceremonies,” Abernathy said.
“We’re very grateful to SMH and the Auxiliary for their donation,” he added.
Following the ceremony, Broadway referred to the Mena incident.
“It was a harrowing experience,” he said. “We were into the question-and-answer part of the event. A man asked a question, then touched his forehead and fell out.
“The president of the school board was on top of him in a minute ... and they got an AED,” Broadway said. “I found out later that he (board president) operates an ambulance service there.
“The good news is that the man survived,” he said, noting that the AED likely was a critical factor.
The senator stressed the importance of having people trained to use the devices.
Acquiring more AEDs for school districts is important, he added, noting that “this may be something we need to work on in the [legislative] session next year.”
Danny Henley, superintendent of the Harmony Grove School District, said school officials will “work through the school nurse’s office in deciding where to place the AEDs.”
“We’ll probably put one in the gym and one in the central principal’s office,” Henley said. “And we hope we won’t ever need them.”
Prothro also expressed gratitude for the AEDs, noting that the Benton district currently has an AED in every building “but not enough for kids to take on field trips.”
“These two will be used for these, and the district has purchased extra ones ... for the auditorium and gym where there are a lot of people ..., “ he said.
“We’re very appreciative,” he added. “This year we should have enough [AEDs] to take care of all our kids.”
He speculated that the Benton district, in regard to the number of AEDs, is “probably above the curve” among school districts in the state.
“You’ve got to make sure people are trained so that if something happens it would be used properly,” he said.
Prothro added: “An AED is so user-friendly. It won’t shock unless it needs to. ... We have to make sure it’s maintained well as far as battery packs go.”
Billingsley said the Bauxite district currently has two AEDs — “one on each campus.”
“We also have a certified trainer for athletics and she carries one of these with her to all activities,” he said.
“We’re so tickled with this,” he said. “We’ve been trying to get others,” noting that the district currently is building a new middle school.
“It gives you a better sense of safety for all to be able to help someone if it (cardiac arrest) ever happens,” he said.
Officials of the American Heart Association have reported that around 340,000 people die every year from sudden cardiac arrest. However, they say there is a 70-80 percent chance of survival if defibrillation can be performed within one-three minutes of the incident.
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