FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Person: Geoffrey Tiffany, Northwest Aquatics – tiffanygp@aol.com, 503- 302-7659 or www.NorthwestAquatics.com
Ashit G. Patel, MD, FACC/Melissa Brennan at 503-485-4787 or MBrennan@CascadeCardiology.com
LIVE SAVING AED DONATED TO LOCAL SWIM CLUB BY CASCADE CARDIOLOGY
Salem, OR (June 14, 2013) – Thanks to the Cascade Cardiology, one of Salem’s local pools is more equipped to save lives. The physicians from the practice donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to Olinger Pool, located at 1310 A Street. Now, swimmers, staff and athletes from Northwest Aquatics (NWA), can be citizen first responders if someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). This is the third AED donated by the practice over the last year. The first went to the Salem Indoor Soccer Club and the second to the Salem Elks Lodge.
NWA coordinator, Geoff Tiffany was thankful for the donation.
We are so pleased the Cascade Cardiology made this donation to our pool. There is a growing awareness of cardiac incidences….it just makes sense for us to be prepared. Our lifeguards will be trained and now we have the technology and tools to be ready to respond in the event of an emergency. We hope to never have to use the AED, however safety for our swimmers and is our highest priority.
SCA — the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness — is a leading cause of death in the U.S. It usually results from an abnormal heart rhythm, often as a result of underlying heart conditions, but about two-third of SCA victims do not realize they have these conditions until they enter cardiac arrest, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation.
Ashit Patel, MD FACC, Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Cascade Cardiology said,
The only definitive treatment for SCA is a defibrillation shock — an electrical pulse sent through the heart to restore a normal rhythm. Defibrillation must be administered within the first few minutes of SCA in order to be effective, as a victim’s chances of survival decrease by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes without treatment. Almost anyone can use an AED, as the device monitors the SVA victim’s heart rhythm and uses audio prompts to guide users through the process.
For more information about Olinger Pool and NWA visit www.NorthwestAquatics.com. To learn about Cascade Cardiology, www.CascadeCardiology.com or 503-485-4787.