Senate bill to save lives

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AED station outside of the nurses office.

Faith Swarner, Reporter

“Ah ah ah ah staying alive, staying alive”. Almost everyone knows the lyrics to this famous song by the Bee Gees, and the lyrics are now a life-saving tool for hands-only CPR. Senate Bill 115 was a measure to require hands-only CPR training for every high schooler in Pennslyvania. The bill passed unanimously and people are now advocating for a full Senate vote to make the bill a law. The thirty-minute training could save many lives, and if all graduating seniors in the class of 2019 learned hands-only CPR, there would be 208 more potential lifesavers in the world. The CDC states that heart disease accounts for ¼ of deaths in the United States. This bill might go a long way in preventing the 47% of cardiac deaths that occur outside of a hospital. When everyone is trained and aware, we can make a positive impact on our world.

The school nurses responded to the bill with positivity. Judy Metcalf, who has been a nurse for forty years is a huge supporter of this bill. She said, “For the general population, it’s a great idea. A lot of people are hesitant about the mouth to mouth part of CPR, so hands only is a great way for more people to learn about this life-saving technique.” Metcalf helps teach students in Dean Smith’s classes CPR and AED training, so they are prepared for a sudden cardiac arrest. She said, “ CPR training should be mandatory. Senate Bill 115 is a great way for more people to be involved and interested in performing CPR. The most positive outcome of this bill is that more lives will be saved due to hands only CPR training.”

Even with this bill, life-saving CPR might never be administered due to the lack of awareness of warning signs. The CDC also states the warning signs for a heart attack, which are chest pain, upper body pain as in neck or arms, jaw pain, nausea or indigestion, fatigue, and dizziness are all strong warning signs that something is amiss. If it is suspected that someone of having a heart attack, call nine one one. Bill 115 can make large strides in preventing undue deaths due to heart attacks.