George Washington University will attempt to ensure immediate care for victims of sudden cardiac arrest by installing 135 additional automatic external defibrillators in highly populated buildings on its Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon and Virginia campuses.
An AED is a device approximately the size of a laptop computer that analyzes abnormalities in a person's heart rhythm through two attached electrodes placed on the chest. If necessary, the device directs the person operating the machine to administer a shock meant to help the heart re-establish a proper rhythm on its own.
AU's Athletic Department, the Katzen Arts Center and the Washington College of Law each have AEDs available, according to Tony Newman, director of risk management and transportation. The Office of Risk Management and Safety Services protects university assets and prevents financial, operational, technical and reputation risks, according to its Web site.
The Risk Management and Safety Services office have discussed the benefits of AEDs with other offices on-campus, but these offices are not required to have them, Newman said.
There have been some fatal deaths at AU resulting from cardiac arrest in the past several years.
In 2001, freshman Stefan Pitts died of a heart attack while jogging. In 2003, Kogod School of Business professor Thomas Slivinski suffered a heart attack and died soon after, despite being administered CPR. He was not treated with an AED, The Eagle previously reported.
A population increase at GW over the last few years prompted GW's Office of Risk Management to prioritize the implementation of an AED program due to the advantage of having these devices on hand in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, Michelle Sherrard, assistant director of media relations at GW, said in an e-mail. GW will now have a total of 165 AEDs available on its campuses.
Sudden cardiac arrest is usually caused by abnormal heart rhythms during which the heart stops pumping blood effectively. Most victims have no prior symptoms or past heart conditions, according to the American Red Cross Web site.
More than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. Up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if an AED program had been in place and if automatic external defibrillator had been available nearby at the time of the emergency, according to the American Red Cross Web site.
AU does not have a campus-wide AED plan, but the Athletic Department, Katzen and the Washington College of Law are responsible for the maintenance of the machines, Newman said.
Since sudden cardiac arrest can strike all people regardless of age, gender, race or socioeconomic status, the decision to strengthen GW's AED program was common sense, Sherrard said.
"With a population as large as GW's, which is comprised of students, faculty and staff and visitors of all different backgrounds, it is merely good health and safety policy and good risk management to provide access to equipment which gives people a better chance of survival," she said in an e-mail.
GW is also providing orientation sessions on the AED program to members of the GW community, including neighbors in Foggy Bottom. People are not required to complete a session to use these devices. However, the sessions will inform the community about the presence, function and location of the devices and attempt to reduce hesitation about using an AED in the event of an emergency, Sherrard said.
