Commuters who use the La Grange Rd train station will soon have the means to provide immediate advanced treatment to victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
Village President Elizabeth Asperger Monday night announced that an automated external defibrillator—AED for short--will be installed at the station, one of the village's most heavily used locations.
The portable device, which delivers an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm in cases of cardiac arrest, was donated by Adventist Health Systems in conjunction with St Jude Medical. Adventist owns and operates La Grange Memorial Hospital.
"The reality is that 150,000 people in this country [this year] will drop dead of a heart problem without any symptoms," Ted Paarlberg, regional executive for the Adventist Cardiovascular Network told village trustees at their Monday night meeting. Fewer than eight percent of victims survive because immediate treatment is not provided.
"To have this type of technology available is an absolute first step in recognizing that we really need to educate the public to the resources available to ameliorate these sorts of situations," Paarlberg said.
He noted that Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn in February called for AEDs to be readily available in all public places.
Mark Hermes, of Cardiac Science Inc, demonstrated for trustees how its AED can be used by almost anyone who follows simple step-by-step audio instructions that the device provides.
"It is our privilege and pleasure to make this donation to the community," Rick Wright, CEO of Adventist La Grange, said. "Much of our volume we get in our hospital comes through the ER [emergency room]. As a result of that, we are very dependent on a good working relationship [with the village and the public.]
Watch the video below to view highlights of the presentation and a demonstration of the AED.
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