Twenty new heart defibrillators were installed around Grounds last week in an effort to provide rapid responses to sudden cardiac arrests.
"Sudden cardiac death is a very significant public problem," said Dr. William Brady, associate professor of pediatric medicine. "It can be treated with a quick shock to the heart, but that needs to be delivered within the first couple of minutes for it to be successful."
The new automated external defibrillators, known as AEDs, have been added to locations such as Alderman Library, Newcomb Hall, John Paul Jones Arena and Culbreth Theatre.
"The locations that we chose were areas that have a frequent presence of higher-risk demographics, such as older people, as well as places where road access may not be as easy," Brady said.
The installation of new AEDs in buildings follows efforts that led to the installation of AEDs in several University Police vehicles. Brady said, however, there is still an opportunity for more of the AED devices to be placed around Grounds.
The AEDs come with a set of instructions and features that make the machines more accessible to untrained users.
"If it doesn't recognize a shockable rhythm, it won't deliver a shock," explained Mike Sobczak, chief imaging technologist of the University's nuclear cardiology and tests lab. "That makes it more people-friendly."
Despite these features, Provost Arthur Garson, Jr., formerly the interim Medical School dean, recommended that people receive basic defibrillator and CPR training before using AEDs.
"A common view of why AEDs are not used is that people are not trained," Garson said. "When you open an AED, it has very detailed instructions, but it is enough of a frightening event to come across someone with a cardiac arrest, that while the instructions are there, it is a good idea to have some training."
Brady, meanwhile, also emphasized the importance of other forms of emergency response, such as CPR and calling 911.
Read More
Winsome Earle-Sears talks higher education in first U.Va. event of the campaign
By Ford McCracken | 11 hours agoA Jamaican immigrant and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Earle-Sears is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia,
U.Va.'s Earth Day Eco-Fair 2025 spotlights sustainability advocacy
By Leigh Bailey | 12 hours agoStudents from Contracted Independent Organizations and University Office of Sustainability leadership programs each shared their unique perspectives about sustainability advocacy on Grounds.
Student Council votes to relocate Hereford orchard and basketball hoop
By Lauren Seeliger | 22 hours agoStudent Council passed a resolution Tuesday to relocate the orchard and basketball hoop of Hereford Residential College due to construction in the surrounding area.
