Keeping The Beat Going
Photo via Unsplash
By Mel Bearns
It is estimated that each year, over 356,000 cardiac arrest events occur outside of hospital settings across the U.S. – and nearly 90% of them prove to be fatal. To address this critical issue and improve preparedness in schools and communities, advocates from across the state of Texas gathered earlier this year in the capitol to discuss the need to have Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs) in place throughout all schools in the state.
Having a CERP has been shown to increase survival rates from cardiac arrest by 50% or more by facilitating teams of laypeople to respond quickly and efficiently. Research shows that in schools with Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), the percentage of children who survive cardiac arrest rises to 70% – 7 times better than the overall survival rate.
Improving Survival Rates
The American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers Committee recently began a landmark partnership with school districts in Texas, like the HEB ISD, to establish CERPs. With over 22,000 students, the HEB ISD is the largest school district in the state that is actively enhancing CPR training, increasing AED availability, and improving emergency response coordination with local EMS. The goal of this initiative aims to double the survival rates for cardiac arrest victims outside of the hospital setting and help to set a model for schools nationwide to turn bystanders into lifesavers.
The need for an updated and proactive approach to improving survival rates from cardiac events in schools is severe and immediate. Every year, about 23,000 children under 18 experience a cardiac arrest event during day-to-day activities, and up to 40% of the time, they occur during sports-related activities. When effective CPR is administered in the early stages of an event, the survival rate often doubles or triples as a direct result of facilitating more staff and students to be able to take action as soon as a cardiac arrest occurs.
Empowering More People to Save Lives
Dr. Joe Harrington is the Superintendent of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB ISD) and co-chair of the Association's Nation of Lifesavers Committee. As part of the HEB ISD goal to prioritize the health and well-being of students and faculty, the district-wide CERP initiative is now well underway.
"HEB ISD remains dedicated to the safety of our students, staff, and community and is proud to be a District of Lifesavers," said Dr. Harrington. "Having a plan that empowers people to act quickly and correctly during a cardiac emergency can save lives. We're starting with HEB ISD and advocating for other districts across Texas to work with the American Heart Association and implement a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan."
The customized CERP plan for the district includes a checklist of 10 initiatives:
Providing digital maps to local EMS for quick response times
Showing related video content on the Texas Health Jumbotron during district football games
Increasing the number of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) on campuses
Working with the American Heart Association and the nonprofit Project Adam to keep the plan and equipment up to date
Enhancing the curriculum to exceed the Texas CPR graduation requirements with multiple points of exposure to Hands-Only CPR in elementary and junior high schools
Increasing the district's annual participation in the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge program - all 21 elementary schools are participating in Kids Heart Challenge this year, which is 70% district participation, up from 43% last school year.
Working with local organizations to support this plan which will help with Hands-Only CPR training support
Conducting CPR and AED drills with staff and students at all campuses
Sharing the CERP with staff and conducting Hands-Only CPR demonstrations during district development days for those not already CPR and basic life-saving skill certified
Including checklists in all classrooms to support this initiative
A Nationwide Initiative
Texas is one of several states requiring basic CPR for graduation; others lack legislation requiring schools to have comprehensive and updated plans to respond to cardiac emergencies.
The new AHA CERP plans can be implemented as stand-alone guidelines and can also be easily incorporated into schools’ existing cardiac and medical response plans. Envisioned as a comprehensive approach that will improve and sustain better health in neighborhoods and communities, strengthen family communication about heart health, and improve outcomes, the American Health Association hopes that more people across Texas and throughout the U.S. will reach out to their local leaders to prioritize implementing CERPs.