Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - (Page 3)
Gifts of life
“More people in Medina die of heart attacks than gunshot wounds, violent crimes or car accidents,” says Medina Police Chief Patrick Berarducci. One of the best ways to increase the chances of survival after cardiac arrest, which can accompany a heart attack, is by using an AED (automated external defibrillator) to keep the heart pumping oxygen to the rest of the body until medical help arrives. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross report the chance of survival moves from 3 percent with CPR to 50 percent with AEDs and CPR. Thanks to a donation from Medina Hospital, the Medina Police Department is now equipped with six of these lifesaving devices. Berarducci reports, “The Medina Police Department has a response time of three minutes or less on average. Often it’s less than a minute. Time is important in the case of a heart attack when minutes mean muscle. Knowing that trained officers can administer the AEDs could save heart muscle.”
Donation of medical equipment helps police officers administer lifesaving response
How aeDs Work
An automated defibrillator is used to correct potentially fatal heart arrhythmias (abnormal rhythms) during cardiac arrest. The portable, voice-automated units guide officers on how to give an electric shock to those suffering cardiac arrest. Use of an AED is fairly simple. It is intended for use by the average person. You do not have to be a doctor or paramedic to operate the defibrillator. It analyzes whether the rhythm is treatable with a shock. The AEDs can be used on adults and children. The device also knows when the use of defibrillation is not appropriate. “We recently had a call and the officers attempted to shock the victim. However, the unit sensed that this wasn’t required and told them to continue CPR. It’s amazing that the AED was able to direct our officers to administer the appropriate treatment,” recalls Berarducci.
Above: Hospital and law enforcement officials announce aeD donations from Medina Hospital. inset: Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell (left) and Medina Hospital President Rob stall
“In the past, the city had one defibrillator in the supervisor’s cruiser.” Medina Mayor and former police chief Dennis Hanwell explains, “That could be problematic if the supervisor wasn’t on the call.” Now every car that rolls carries a defibrillator. The defibrillators cost about $11,000. Cost, however, wasn’t a factor in the decision to purchase the devices. “It is not about the hospital giving AEDs,” clarifies Stall. “It’s about having lifesaving resources available to the community.” Chief Berarducci says, “I’ve never seen a better gift for our department!”
a lifesaving Partnership
Since Medina Hospital affiliated with Cleveland Clinic in August 2009, many community partnerships have been formed. “We want the very best result for the community and our patients,” explains Rob Stall, president of Medina Hospital. “This is why it made perfect sense to partner with the police department and purchase the AEDs for the patrol cars.” In addition to donating the defibrillators, the hospital provided training and certified each of the officers and many of their support personnel in CPR and the use of the AEDs. The hospital biomedical engineering department will provide regular maintenance on the units.
(
visit)
siGn uP FOR a CPR Class
Visit our website at medinahospital.org for upcoming CPR classes. simply click the “Classes & Programs” link on the top right corner of the home page.
clevelandclinicmedina.com
HealtH essentials
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina
Contents
A Message From Medina’s President. Plus: A Library on Wheels
Police Cars Now Equipped With Lifesaving Devices
Screen Star
No Patient Is Too Sick or Too Far Away for Quality Care
Don’t Miss Our Upcoming Community and Health Care Events
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - Contents (Page Cover1)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - A Message From Medina’s President. Plus: A Library on Wheels (Page 2)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - Police Cars Now Equipped With Lifesaving Devices (Page 3)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - Screen Star (Page 4)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - Screen Star (Page 5)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - No Patient Is Too Sick or Too Far Away for Quality Care (Page 6)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - No Patient Is Too Sick or Too Far Away for Quality Care (Page 7)
Health Essentials - Winter 2011 - Medina - Don’t Miss Our Upcoming Community and Health Care Events (Page 8)
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