Page 65 - Occupational Health & Safety, June 2018

That I was so lucky that all the steps in the Chain of Survival were followed so perfectly. I lived through something that so many oth- ers don’t survive. It’s too much to comprehend and the emotional acceptance of what happened took some time.”
Teaching the Value of Bystander Emergency Care
With that eventual acceptance came a desire and commitment to spread the word about bystander training for CPR and AED. The PGA Tour organization holds biannual CPR/AED trainings, and J.R. has taken on the role of motivational speaker at the classes. He also works with local training organizations to teach hands-only CPR to children through the Jacksonville school system, where he explains first-hand just how important bystander intervention can be.
After recovering from his SCA, J.R. met with the lifeguards who saved him, thanking them and eventually accepting a position on the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Beach Volunteer Life- Saving Corps to assist with marketing and fundraising efforts. “I’m proud to connect the lifeguards to the broader community this way,” he said. “We have this Baywatch perception of lifeguards who hang around the beach enjoying themselves all day, and that just isn’t the case. These are ocean rescue-trained heroes, and it’s re- warding to showcase the important work they do.”
And what about those who have dedicated their careers to emergency care training? What would this SCA survivor say to them? “Keep spreading the word, teaching the public, and push- ing for AED access laws in your communities. Stories like mine are the best teaching tools,” he explained. “Before this happened, I didn’t even know what an AED was; I ask myself ‘Would I have known what to do with one?’ That’s what emergency care instruc- tors give to the world. You empower people to run towards the emergency, not away from it, because they know have the skills and tools to respond. That’s what saves lives, and there’s plenty of proof to show it works.”
As for the future, J.R. now has an implantable cardioverter-defi- brillator (ICD) in case SCA strikes again. Since the 2015 event, the ICD has activated once while he was on the golf course. He came through that second event with flying colors. “I think the place- ment of the ICD in my chest has actually improved my golf swing,” he quipped.
Success stories like J.R.’s are dramatic examples of successful by- stander emergency care. A recently published study in the journal Circulation looked at cardiac arrest in large metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada and shows how a bystander’s imme- diate use of an AED has a significant impact on survival rates.
According to the study, the chances for survival from cardiac arrest double when a bystander steps in to respond with an AED prior to the arrival of EMS. Those first few moments are critical to a positive outcome, and the growing availability of easy-to-use public-access AEDs means bystanders can truly make a lifesav- ing difference.
The Importance of Taking Action
More than 100,000 cardiac arrests a year occur outside the home. Of the 49,555 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests analyzed in the study, researchers focused on “those that occurred in public, were wit- nessed and were shockable. The researchers found that nearly 66 percent of these victims survived to hospital discharge after a shock
delivered by a bystander. Their findings emphasized that bystand- ers make a critical difference in assisting cardiac arrest victims be- fore emergency responders can get to the scene.”
One of the most difficult decisions to make is whether to get involved when we think a medical emergency has occurred. It is normal to feel hesitant about our ability to help or overwhelmed that the problem is too big to handle alone.
To everyone who has received CPR, AED, and first aid training, remember:
You are only the first link in a progressive chain of emergency care. Your involvement lasts only until relieved by another first aid provider or responding EMS personnel—in most cases, a very short period of time.
Your training provides you with sound knowledge and skills designed only to help—and not harm—those in need.
Extensive medical knowledge is not necessary. First aid is sim- ple and easy to provide.
If it is safe to do so, take action. Your actions can help to protect or save a life.
Kathleen Simpson is the Senior Writer for Health & Safety Institute. She has researched and written on the topics of emergency care and environmental health and safety for more than 10 years and has pub- lished more than 200 articles, blog posts, and eBooks.
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