Are You Ready To Save Lives With An Automated External Defibrillator?
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is easy for trained people to use to revive someone undergoing sudden cardiac arrest, but AEDs do not save lives on their own!!
At least five deaths have occurred in Tennessee during the past several years in buildings with automated external defibrillators (AED) on site, and additional incidents have been reported throughout the country. What went wrong? All of these well-meaning early adopters of AED technology had one thing in common. They did not have a system in place that ensured the readiness of their AED programs.
Having an AED on site does not mean your company is ready to save lives. In the situations noted above, the devices were either not accessible (in one instance the AED was still in its box in the basement); not ready for use (the batteries or pads were expired); or personnel did not know where to find the devices or how to use them.
Simply stated, companies need to place as much importance on their AED management programs as they do on selecting the right AED. Successful programs are backed by detailed readiness systems that ensure proper installation, team training and regular, ongoing support. You can establish internal systems with strong controls and clear, mandated accountability that helps ensure program readiness or purchase an outsourced support solution similar to those that monitor and service security systems.
If you choose the internal route, make sure your program includes these important components:
- Device readiness — Build a process with sufficient checks and balances to help ensure equipment is fully operational. In addition, run in-person spot checks.
- Team readiness — Build a system to help ensure that well- trained personnel are on each floor during each shift and that their certifications are up to date.
- Overall program/compliance readiness — Develop a system to help ensure each location within your program meets community and state requirements, as well as manufacturers’ requirements.
Studies cited by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine indicate that as many as 15 percent of the 450,000 sudden cardiac arrest deaths in America occur in the workplace. Will you be ready if someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest in your workplace? Remember, AEDs do not save lives on their own, but when used in conjunction with a management system that helps ensure total program readiness, you will be prepared to make a difference when it counts the most.
For additional information about setting up an internal program, visit the website of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at www.acoem.org.
Information contained in this article is courtesy of Brent Hetherington, the founder and CEO of AED service provider Premedics, Inc. and reprinted by permission of Stevens Publishing Corporation, Dallas, TX.
