Aside from education, the protection of student’s welfare should be the utmost priority of any school. Although it is not a common occurrence, it is possible for students to suffer from cardiac arrest at school. Recent statistics have shown an uptick not only in high schools but also in primary schools.

Cardiac arrests are difficult to handle, especially when there is no properly trained professional within the immediate vicinity where it happened. Most cardiac arrests at school happen when students are undergoing strenuous physical activities. The majority of cases occur during sports events, which is why it is required to have a medical expert present during these events.

Most schools cannot afford to have a standby medical doctor on school grounds and during after-school activities. Because of this, students have succumbed to sudden cardiac arrests at school due to lack of immediate medical attention or availability of an AED.

While doctors are expensive to have, an affordable alternative is the Automatic External Defibrillator or AED. These devices are easy to use and can be administered even by a non-professional.

Most AEDs are equipped with voice prompts that walk the user throughout the whole reviving process. These are simple, yet necessary steps hat can be life-saving.

Studies show that use of AED/ automatic external defibrillators within the first three minutes following a sudden cardiac arrest increases the patient’s survival by factors of up to 70 percent. Shock administration within one minute after the onset of the arrest raises the survival rate by 90 percent.

In cases like sudden cardiac arrests, the first reaction for many of us is to call 911. However, it usually takes minutes for the first responders to arrive, and the patient may be way beyond recovery by the time they arrive. This is why many medical experts highly recommend schools to purchase at least one AED device. It not only increases the patient’s chance of survival, but also extends their life until proper medical experts arrive.

Lawmakers are starting the debate to make AEDs a standard equipment in schools. Once passed, the law will require every school or university to purchase at least one of these life-saving devices.