Aquinas Catholic
Bryan Heart physicians have partnered with Bryan Medical Center and Nebraska Orthopaedic Center’s athletic training team, Butler County Health, Aquinas Catholic Schools and David City High School to provide an AED to be placed at both Aquinas Catholic and David City Public Schools.
An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The Red Cross calls the AED a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device. It can analyze a person’s heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, which is why local health care organizations often step up to help reduce deaths from SCA. Placing AEDs in public areas, like schools, is one strategy for reducing deaths from SCA in youth and adults alike.
According to the American Heart Association, a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest drops by 7% to 10% every minute a normal heartbeat isn’t restored. Immediate CPR and AED use can double or triple the person’s chance of survival.
The benefit of having an AED onsite for students and spectators is as simple as the difference between life and death. On any given day, 20% of the U.S. population can be found in a school. Given this, and the prevalence of SCA among adults and students, schools are logical hosts for life-saving defibrillators.
The athletic training program at Aquinas Catholic Schools and David City High School is a collaborative effort between Bryan Medical Center, Nebraska Orthopaedic Center, and Butler County Health. Athletic cardiology is becoming more prominent as the population becomes more active. Athletic or sports cardiology is a special division of cardiology that is evolving to care for athletes or people who are active, and who have known or unknown cardiovascular conditions.
A person’s age and level of competition as well as health history, including cardiovascular disease, inherited conditions, diseases of the heart valves and heart rhythms – beating too fast or too slow – all factor into overall heart health. Any person with heart health concerns, should contact a primary care provider.
