Is Your Church Prepared for a Cardiac Emergency?

Being prepared for crisis situations and having a safety plan in place can be assets for any church, especially when combined with having trained members who are able to provide immediate, lifesaving assistance for people during a medical emergency. 

Chris Holliday, business manager for The Baptist Courier, is certified by the American Heart Association to provide “HeartSaver” classes for groups.

“It is important to have a well-stocked first-aid kit and a team trained by a nationally accredited group,” Holliday said. “I would encourage every church to have a certified team.”

Holliday doesn’t lead as many classes as he did before joining the staff of The Courier; however, he still conducts some classes and sells automated external defibrillators to churches and other organizations.

His classes include CPR/AED training, which requires three hours of instruction. A longer class includes first-aid instruction and requires six hours of training.

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States. The American Heart Association points out that there is a difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest. A heart attack is caused by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart and may cause permanent damage to heart tissue but may not necessarily result in death. Cardiac arrest is an “abrupt loss of heart function,” which occurs quickly after symptoms appear. According to the AHA, “death usually follows unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within minutes.”

Professional emergency medical services are called upon each year to treat approximately 360,000 victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Less than 10 percent of those victims survive, according to the AHA.

Matthew Quinton, marketing director for Southern Mutual Church Insurance, said that churches often focus solely on defending against an active shooter scenario when setting up a security or emergency response team. “Having individuals trained to provide medical response in a variety of situations is equally important,” Quinton said. “Churches should include the purchase of trauma kits, as well as training on how to use them, when setting up an emergency response plan. CPR training and investing in an automated external defibrillator should also be considered to save lives in the event of a medical emergency.”

When churches have automated external defibrillators available — along with people who are trained to use them — the heart can be restored to a normal rhythm. “The goal of every AED program is to deliver defibrillation to a cardiac arrest victim within three to five minutes after collapse,” states the AHA. Without quick intervention after the onset of cardiac arrest, by the time EMTs arrive, irreversible damage may likely have already occurred. 

“Victims of sudden cardiac arrest have a much greater chance of survival if there is a strong ‘chain of survival’ in place,” said Holliday. This includes immediate recognition of cardiac arrest, early CPR with an emphasis on chest compressions, rapid defibrillation, effective advanced life support, and integrated post-cardiac-arrest care. 

“If proper assistance can be provided within the first few minutes, including the use of an AED, the chances for survival can increase dramatically,” Holliday said.

The AHA recommends that automated external defibrillators be available in public or private places “where large groups of people gather together.”

Michael Kurz, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, said first aid, CPR and AED training “need to become a part of the larger culture within workplaces.” He recommends that AEDs and fire extinguishers be located together and that the AEDs, in particular, be located strategically so they can be retrieved within the first three to five minutes after a cardiac event.

There are a number of certified trainers across South Carolina. For more information, contact the American Heart Association or visit www.heart.org.

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