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Theresa Betz is a nurse practitioner and CPR coordinator in Health Services.
What is an AED?
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a machine that shocks the heart from an abnormal, deadly rhythm to a normal rhythm. Coronary heart disease is responsible for an estimated 330,000 out-of-hospital and emergency-department deaths in the United States each year. The survival rate of persons who are administered only CPR is 6.4 percent or less. AED programs report survival rates as high as 49 to 74 percent when an AED is used.
What is the Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Program?
The Public Access Defibrillation Program is a community-based program that provides access to defibrillators. UB developed a PAD committee in 2002 under the direction of the Student Health Center that consists of members from different departments across the university, including, but not limited to, Athletics, Human Resource Services, University Police, Environmental Health and Safety, Residence Life, the School of Nursing and Computing and Information Technology. The committee developed the policies and procedures for UB's PAD program. The program includes steps to equip buildings on both campuses with defibrillators, training in CPR/AED, mock cardiac-arrest drills, links with emergency medical services, device maintenance and quality-assurance activities. UB was one of the first universities in the country to have an established program and we already had 56 defibrillators when the law governing AEDs was instituted—more than any other university.
What's the law regarding AEDs?
On April 1, 2005, the New York State Office of General Services promulgated regulations implementing legislation enacted in 2004 that requires all public buildings owned and operated by the state to be equipped with on-site AEDs. The regulations establish a five-year, phased implementation period, whereby all public buildings owned or operated by a state agency will have AEDs installed in accordance with the attached regulations no later than April 1, 2009.
What kind of training must one undergo to use an AED?
In order to use an AED, individuals must have a current certification in CPR/AED training. UB's CPR program offers this training and certification. We presently train approximately 1,500-2,000 people each year. With the new law, we will be required to train a minimum of two people per AED unit, or approximately 2,000 additional people.
How many AEDs are on campus now? What percentage of the campus community is trained in CPR/AED?
As I mentioned above, we presently have 56 units and are in the process of reviewing the needs across the campuses and in buildings owned by the university that are off campus. There is a possibility of increasing that number to 500-1,000 units—the law requires at least one in every building. Environmental Health and Safety is compiling the data for the state. Less than 10 percent of the university community is trained in CPR/AED. This is consistent with the numbers in the general public. Our goal is to have at least 10 percent trained by 2009. I personally would like to see 25 percent trained, but I'm very optimistic. We need to educate the community on the benefits of learning these skills, not only to help save a life at work, but most importantly, to save a life of a loved one.
Most people aren't trained in first aid or CPR. Besides calling 911—or 2222 if you're on campus—what should the average person do if they find themselves in a situation where an individual has collapsed and is not breathing?
After calling for help, go back to the victim and stay with them. Let me get on my soapbox. As I mentioned earlier, it would be wonderful if 25 percent of the campus population knew these life-saving skills, especially since heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Yes—more women die from heart disease than men, and the rate of heart disease here in Western New York is twice the national average. Often the focus for women is on breast cancer, and we don't take heart disease seriously. February actually has been designated "Wear Red for Women Month" by the American Heart Association.
What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?
I could probably go on and on about the importance of CPR/AED. CPR training is not difficult. The American Heart Association just changed the guidelines to make training as easy and enjoyable as possible. Health Services plans to merge the CPR training with the Division of Athletics. Our goal is to train a number of instructors who then will train the public. I would encourage everyone to take the CPR/AED class. Read the article in The Buffalo News published on Feb. 5 about the young man who saved the life of a nurse in the restaurant where he works. That nurse actually saved his life years before. Can you imagine what would happen if we continued this with others? If that nurse hadn't saved that young man's life years ago, what would have happened to her? This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. If you think about it, how many people do you know who suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or stroke? How many of your own family members have died from these diseases? This issue affects more people than cancer.