January 2001

Gift of Defibrillator arrives at PGCC

Each year, 350,000 people in the U.S. die from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA can strike anyone at any time, both healthy people and those with known heart conditions. But SCA does not have to result in death. Studies show that lives can be saved with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early defibrillation.

In December we reported that our Emergency Assistant Team and staff members had received CPR and first aid training. Now, thanks to a very generous gift from Agilent Technologies, PGCC also has on hand an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). This sophisticated computerized device senses an abnormal heart rhythm, charges automatically, and instructs the operator when to press a button to deliver an electrical shock. Almost anyone can be trained to use an AED.

Training on the AED will take place very soon, and we will be prepared to help in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Emergency Assistant Team members (left to right) Virginia Pennelly, Wanda Deaton and Sally Rapstad unpack the Agilent Technologies AED.