Getting Started: Heart Safe School Accreditation

Agenda Know Your Plan Consider the Facts Role of the School Preparing Schools for Cardiac Emergencies Heart Safe School Accreditation Overview Next Steps Personal Family Arrest Story

Know Your Plan Where are the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)? Does your school have a defined plan of action? Where are the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)? Who knows CPR and maintains control of the hallways and classrooms during an emergency? How is EMS activation triggered? The American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee reported that injuries are the leading cause of death in the United States. Especially among children, 70% of the injury deaths occurs in school aged youth (5-19 years of age). It is estimated that 10% to 25% of injuries to children occur while they are in school. There is a fundamental link between emergency readiness and death prevention. Having a defined plan of action would directly increase medical emergency preparedness in schools, and thus save lives!

Consider the Facts Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation: 2013 Did You Know? In the United States, a young competitive athlete dies suddenly every three days. (Heart Rhythm Society, 2007) 1 in 50 schools in America will have a cardiac arrest incident each year. American Heart Association: 2013 Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with a heart condition. Heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest are two different terms with individual meanings. While a heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden death, heart attacks are caused by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart. SCA is caused when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions. Cardiac deaths results when the heart suddenly stops working properly. This may be due to abnormal, or irregular, heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Death occurs within minutes after the heart stops. SCA may be reversed if CPR is performed and an AED is used to restore a normal heart rhythm within the first few critical minutes. Average survival rate of an out-of-hospital child cardiac arrest in the U.S. is less than 7.8%.

The Role of the School A typical school day consists of 6 hours. The average school-aged child spends 28% of the day and 14% of his/her total annual hours in school. Schools are responsible for providing a safe platform for learning and sharing. Clarity of school staff roles in an emergency is essential for coordinated response. Developing campus-wide response and communication methods ensures effcient access to emergency equipment and minimizes rumors. The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics published a national survey of 573 school nurses revealing that 68% of the school nurses had to manage a life-threatening emergency requiring EMS activation in the last school year. In a survey of all high schools in Washington State, more than 35% of the schools provided no CPR training nor could they identify staff members trained in CPR. With the overwhelming statistics, schools need to prepare for medical emergencies. “Most schools are closer to achieving accreditation than they think. It does take a little effort, but that effort is a small price to pay to be better prepared to save a life.” - Sarah McGraw-Timmes, RN, Lancaster City Schools Nurse

Assisting Schools in Preparation for Cardiac Emergencies Prevention Assess students’ risk levels for sudden cardiac arrest and sudden arrhythmia death syndromes. Readiness for Response Anticipate and prepare for students with additional risks and health care needs. General Preparation Build emergency response policies with input from the medical community that will be flexible enough to accommodate different students’ developmental levels. Medical, awareness, and staff/student training are all factors that are integral to school medical emergency preparedness. The Heart Safe School Accreditation program is designed to assist schools in preparation for cardiac emergencies in three categories: prevention, readiness for response, and general preparation. We want to increase awareness for cardiac related conditions to better prevent such emergencies. For those with an existing cardiac diagnosis, we want to anticipate the student’s needs and be ready to respond in an emergency. Lastly, we want to have a well-rounded emergence response plan that will accommodate different circumstances.

Heart Safe School Accreditation (HSSA) Overview 1 Screening and Risk Assessment 2 Care Plans 3 Emergency Medical Response Drills 4 Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) 5 CPR Training for Staff The Heart Safe School Accreditation (HSSA) program consists of 7 elements aimed at raising awareness and preventing sudden cardiac arrest. Accreditation is provided by the SADS Foundation and Snider Community Heart Watch. There is absolutely no application or accreditation fee. Element 1: Students (parents/guardians) will be asked to answer questions specific to student’s cardiac history to assess student risk for SCA. These forms do not need to be turned back into the school. Element 2: All students with a cardiac diagnosis will have a plan of care in the student’s record. The SADS Foundation provides sample care plans. Element 3: School will conduct medical emergency response drills at least 3 times per year to ensure emergency readiness. Element 4: AEDs will be no further than 90 seconds from any point in the building (from scene to AED and back) and must be kept unlocked at all times. Element 5: School must meet a ratio of 1:50 CPR trained staff to students. It can be either full CPR certification or compression-only CPR. Element 6: CPR training offered to students from approved CPR instructor (full or compression-only). Element 7: School will conduct an awareness event educating its student & staff population about SCA. We understand each school/district has its special circumstances and are willing to work with the school if they run into difficulties during implementation. 6 CPR Training for Students 7 Sudden Cardiac Awareness/Event

Thank You SADS Foundation 1-801-272-3023 HSSA@sads.org Questions? SADS Foundation 1-801-272-3023 HSSA@sads.org www.StopSADS.org