A teen who was only 14 years old goes into cardiac arrest. He would spend the next 12 hours in a coma. The teen would not have survived at all if it hadn’t been for the lifeguards from an adjoining pool who rushed into the gym, used an automated external defibrillator (AED), and performed CPR.
The doctors shared that if the AED machine were not used on the teen, he would not be here today. Before the incident, the family had no reason to suspect that there was anything wrong.
The Ministry of Education stated that it follows the advice of B.C.’s provincial health officer who currently supports the installation of AEDs in school where there are children and staff with medical conditions that could require them. However, the Surrey school district stated that it is facing issues around funding and maintenance.
The family of the teen hopes something will be done quickly. Experts caution that just 15% of British Columbians who suffer cardiac arrest manage to survive. For every minute that passes, the chances of survival drop by 10% so there is a limited time frame where doing CPR and using an AED is vital.
Be ready to save a life by enrolling in a first aid course
Prompt delivery of CPR and using an AED can save a life. If you want to be prepared during emergencies, it is recommended to enroll in a first aid course today.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help those in need by enrolling in a first aid course and for more information, check out these sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/first-aid/cpr