Wednesday, April 30, 2003
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Wednesday, April 30, 2003 |
Church to use device to save heart attack victims before ambulance arrivesBy JOHN
MUNFORD
Peachtree City United Methodist Church is becoming a pretty good place to have a heart attack, if there is such a thing. The church recently purchased an Automatic External Defibrillator that can be used to treat victims in cardiac arrest and improve their chance for survival. Staff members have been trained how to use the device, which involves placing pads on the chest of the victim that are connected to the orange box that houses the computer that essentially does the rest of the work. The computer analyzes the victim's heart rhythm and determines whether or not the victim needs a shock. If so, a voice warning is given to clear the area around the victim and the shock is delivered but only after a button is pressed by a human operator of the device. The AED keeps monitoring the victim's heart rhythm until EMS personnel can arrive. For every minute that goes by without CPR or other intervention, the chances of surviving a heart attack decrease by 10 percent, said Allen McCullough, deputy chief of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. While EMS response times in Fayette County and Peachtree City are still very good, being able to treat a victim minutes earlier can make a difference in whether that person survives, McCullough added. "If victims can be shocked even two or three minutes before we get there, then the chances are even greater," McCullough said, adding that the devices have been proven safe. Lori Casey, the church's director of congregational care, said church officials decided the device was important to have on site. "We have had excellent support from our pastoral staff," said Casey, who herself is a nurse. Casey noted that the staff also received training on Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, which is used to treat the victim in the first few seconds while the AED is being retrieved. The church has a congregation of over 2,900 members, she said. The staff will also be put through drills to make sure they are comfortable about just what to do when the AED is needed, McCullough said. McCullough hopes more Fayette churches will see the need for AED devices. Churches are good locations for AEDs simply because they offer activities day and night throughout the week, he said. And for some people with health difficulties, Sunday service may be one of the few times they get out of the house, McCullough added. "It's not unusual for us to run calls on Sunday to churches, either in the sanctuary or in the classroom," McCullough said. Schools are also a good location to have AEDs because of the large numbers of people that congregate there, McCullough said. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability in Fayette County, McCullough added. AEDs are already located in numerous emergency response vehicles, including some police cars in the county, McCullough noted. The local chapter of the American Heart Association also supports the use of AEDs in the county, he added.
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