Classes teach life-saving tips

Today four more people in the Bloomington area can save a life.\nEarly Saturday morning these people attended a free training class on Automated External Defibrillators and learned how to respond to emergency situations whenever needed. \nAEDs are mechanical devices that allow people to aid those who are in cardiac arrest -- a state in which a person is unconscious, not breathing and has no pulse. The machine analyzes their heart for signs of a chaotic, disorganized heartbeat, called ventricular fibrillation. It will then deliver a shock if fibrillation is present. Vocal and visual prompts tell the user exactly what to do and prevent user error.\n"Every minute that passes while a person is in cardiac arrest reduces their survival rate by 10 percent," said Rita Mikels, the class instructor. "That means the sooner you can treat people, the better chance they have."\nThe class teaches volunteers emergency response methods in case paramedics are not readily available. \n"It's important for people to be aware of what an AED is and how prevalent they are," Mikels said. "If more people know how to use them, then we have a better chance of saving more lives."\nThe class participants not only learned how to use the AED but also Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and how to clear a blocked airway. \nThey first watched an introductory slide show on AED and cardiac arrest and then a video that demonstrated the various techniques. After being shown a new technique, they practiced on dummies designed especially for this type of training. Mikels also ran them through a variety of scenarios involving the use of the AED.\nSharol Laezkowski, one of the participants, runs the Endwright Center, a community center for those 50 and over. She said she came to the class to learn about the AED and to find out how to get one.\n"Many people at the center have had heart surgery or are obese," Laezkowski said. "Although we've never had a heart-related incident, the probability of one occurring is high, and I want to be prepared."\nAnother participant, Christian Ferris, said she came to the class because her job required it. She is a secretary at Morgan Hospital Medical Center.\n"We are short-staffed at times," Ferris said. "If the nurses are too busy to get to an emergency situation right away, then I will be able to aid the person until a nurse arrives." \nAEDs were created in 1979 and have become widespread in the last five years due to advanced technology and cheaper prices. They can now be found in planes, airports, bus terminals, hotels, casinos, sporting events, high schools, factories and police stations. \nIU was one of the first colleges to provide AEDs on its campus. Every IUPD police cruiser contains an AED, and AEDs can also be found in various places around campus, including the Student Recreational Sports Center, the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the Indiana Memorial Union.\nAED certification lasts for two years. Bloomington Hospital and the American Heart Association are scheduled to sponsor another free AED class Dec. 9. Bloomington Hospital also has AEDs that they loan to people for events. \nFor more information about the AED training course, contact Rita Mikels at 353-5153.