Purdue now has defibrillators

By Heather Poston
Staff Writer

The newest in emergency medical equipment can now be found in buildings at Purdue.

Thanks to the Venture grant program, seven automatic external defibrillators were purchased and placed in different "high-risk" facilities across campus. The purpose of the program is to create new and interesting ways to improve physical facilities. James Heisel, Purdue's assistant fire chief, applied for the grant in the fall of 2000.

"I believe there are many advantages to having defibrillators on campus, as well as having them in public places in the community, " said Heisel.

Automatic external defibrillators are medical devices that provide electrical shock to a victim’s heart during a cardiac arrest. They are pre-programmed to produce the correct amount of electrical shock that will enable a normal heartbeat.

"In the next few years, we will be seeing defibrillators everywhere, in malls, restaurants and retail stores. In fact, airlines are required to carry them by the year 2004," said Heisel.

The survival rate of a heart attack victim is dependent on the initial response time after the cardiac arrest. Emergency medical services must be contacted immediately to ensure the safety of the victim.

The survival of cardiac arrest victims also relies on the people around them. If a person receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation early, survival rate is increased. According to the American Heart Association, use of an automatic defibrillator during the first four minutes of the attack is integral to the victim’s chances of survival

"We have a three minute response time from the initial emergency call," said Heisel. "But, considering the size of the building the victim is located in, it can take longer than that for us to actually reach the victim. If a defibrillator is available, then someone can immediately do something."

The defibrillators purchased for the pilot program were placed in the Purdue Airport, Wade South Utility Plant, Frehafer Hall, the Civil Engineering Building and in the Physical Facilities Service Building.

The athletic department had already purchased defibrillators of their own, which was important since Purdue hosts thousands of spectators at sporting events. According to Heisel and Denny Miller, the head athletic trainer, most Big Ten schools already have defibrillators in their facilities.

It's important for faculty members to learn how to use the defibrillators. Personnel who work in the buildings containing the devices are being trained to handle the equipment in cases of emergencies. The training program consists of four hours of classroom instruction on the proper use of the automatic external defibrillator.

At the end of the training program, students will be able to perform CPR and correctly use defibrillators for shock fibrillation. These training sessions are held at the DeMent Fire Station in West Lafayette.

Automatic external defibrillators are lightweight units powered by lithium batteries. These batteries last about five years and have approximately five hours of operating time. The units perform daily self-test checks for readiness in case of emergency.

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