MUSC, Regional Medical Center donate defibrillators
The MUSC Heart and Vascular Center and East Cooper Regional Medical Center presented six automatic external defibrillators (AED) to the Town of Mount Pleasant July 21.AEDs are used to halt the quivering of the heart associated with sudden cardiac arrest. After the initial strike of a cardiac arrest, a victim’s best hope lies in returning the heart to a normal rhythm within four minutes.
Bill
Spring, Heart and Vascular Center administrator, acknowledges Andrea Wozniak,
East Cooper Regional Medical Center CEO, and MUSC's collaboration with
the hospital in his comments about the importance of donating six
AEDs to Mount Pleasant.
The Town of Mount Pleasant planned to place the AEDs in first response vehicles that often reach cardiac arrest victims before an ambulance.
“I would like to thank both the MUSC Heart and Vascular Center and East Cooper Regional Medical Center for their generous donations and community involvement,” said Mount Pleasant Mayor Harry M. Hallman Jr. “Our AED project is very dear to our hearts and represents the best method in combating a leading killer in the field by getting our patients to medical facilities in survivable conditions. Rapid response and proper care are critical. We are very proud of the relationship with MUSC and East Cooper Medical Center and are grateful for their support. These defibrillators will greatly build on our expanding, donor-driven program.”
Sudden cardiac arrest strikes about 600 people a day in the U.S., and as many as a million people a year worldwide. It can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime, although some medical conditions can increase a person’s risk of becoming a victim. Sudden cardiac arrest is usually caused by a malfunction of the heart called ventricular fibrillation, an ineffective quivering of the heart muscle that makes it unable to pump blood through the body.
Once the blood stops circulating, a person quickly loses consciousness and the ability to breathe. Defibrillation is the only definitive treatment.
“With every passing minute before defibrillation is administered, survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest decrease by about 7-10 percent,” said Michael Gold, M.D., Ph.D., medical director, MUSC Heart and Vascular Center, director of MUSC Cardiology. “Although not everyone can be saved from sudden cardiac arrest, increased access to early defibrillation can help save thousands of lives a year.”
“The staff and physicians at East Cooper Regional Medical Center are committed to the safety and well- being of our community,” said Andrea Wozniak, CEO, East Cooper Regional Medical Center. “We are proud to present the Town of Mount Pleasant with this life- saving equipment. The addition of the AEDs will help our first responders continue to provide the quality care that our community members deserve.”
Unlike the models of defibrillators intended for use by health care professionals, the AEDs do not require extensive medical knowledge to understand or operate them. The expertise needed to analyze the heart’s electrical function is programmed into the device, enabling non-medical professionals to respond to cardiac emergencies.
Friday, July 30, 2004
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