Is Your School Ready?

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, with more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occurring outside a hospital each year in the United States. It strikes suddenly and without warning, and what happens within the first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death.

Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time and to anyone—students sitting in class, teachers walking down the hallway, and parents, grandparents and other community members gathering at the school for a football game or school play.

Schools are the heart of our communities, and it’s important they plan and prepare for cardiac emergencies that occur on school campuses. Preparation is the key to saving lives.

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CERP 101

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Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. It happens suddenly and without warning. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment.

Cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, which is caused when blood flow to the heart is blocked. Serious heart attacks can cause a person to go into cardiac arrest.

Cardiac Arrest in Youth

More than 23,000 children under the age of 18 experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the United States.

Sudden cardiac arrest in youth is most often the result of an abnormal heart rhythm, called an arrhythmia. Arrhythmia can occur from abnormalities of the heart structure, changes to the muscles of the heart, or a disruption on the heart’s electrical conduction system.

Sudden cardiac arrest in children can happen at any time or location, however, vigorous exercise, including during sports participation, appears to act as a trigger for such arrhythmia events. Nationally, almost 40% of youth cardiac arrests are sports-related.

Surviving Cardiac Arrest

Surviving a cardiac arrest requires immediate bystander CPR followed by the timely use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). With each minute delay in treatment the chance of survival drops by 10%.

Together, proper hands-only CPR and use of an AED when a shock is advised significantly improve chances of survival.

Cardiac Emergency Response Plans

Survival from sudden cardiac arrest is higher at schools that have developed Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs) compared to schools that have not.

A CERP is a written document that establishes specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest. When implemented, survival from cardiac arrest can increase by 50% or more by enabling trained lay responders to take action.

At a minimum, a school CERPs should include the following core elements:

Establish a response team trained in CPR and AED use
Educate all staff on recognizing cardiac arrest and how to active the response team
Establish AED placement throughout the campus for quick retrieval and develop routine maintenance
Include at least annual practice drills, similar to fire drills
Integrate the school’s plan with local first responders
Be reviewed at least annually, with post-event evaluation and review