Funded Projects

Creating HeartSafe Schools in Rhode Island

Project Year

2022

City & State

Providence, Rhode Island

Program Name

CATCH Implementation

Topic

School Health

Program Description

PROBLEM: Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurs in ∼2 to 8 children per 100 000 person years, with 6% to 27% surviving to hospital discharge. Furthermore, one out of every 250-600 cardiac arrests occur on school grounds. These situations are rare, making it imperative to prepare for these rare emergencies through standardized checklists, action plans, and regular simulation and drills. Each minute delayed until defibrillation decreases chance of survival by 10%. These comprehensive school checklists for the prevention of sudden cardiac death have already been formulated and are available to schools through Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory) – a non-profit organization with the mission to improve survival in cardiac arrest. However, a recent needs assessment survey of school staff in Rhode Island across 3 school districts found that only 23% had a cardiac arrest action plan (funded by a CATCH needs assessment grant ""Cardiac Arrest Training and Preparedness in High Schools: A Descriptive Study""). Our goal is to help schools develop and implement cardiac action plans, as well as develop a sustainable framework for regular drills to practice for this exact emergency. PRIMARY SETTING Our goal is to partner with the 65 public high schools in Rhode Island to develop feasible action plans for response to a cardiac arrest. We will use existing partnerships with the RI AAP Council of School Health as well as the RI School Nurse Teacher Association to introduce the HeartSafe Schools Project ADAM curriculum and create a sustainable framework for regular review and training. NUMBER OF CHILDREN AFFECTED According to the RI Dept of Education as of Oct 2020 there were 45,178 students were enrolled in a public high school and per the RI InterScholastic League over 20,000 students playing at least one sport. In addition, there are the teachers, administrators, and staff who all work in the schools as well as spectators of school and sporting events who are at risk for a sudden cardiac event. PROJECT GOAL The ultimate goal would be to prevent a death on school grounds from a cardiac arrest. Since 1999, over 140 lives have been saved because of school staff members trained under Project ADAM efforts. Even if there is never a cardiac arrest on school grounds, we anticipate that having emergency action plans in place may be beneficial in other emergency situations requiring quick intervention. PROPOSED INTERVENTION We plan on aiding schools in establishing a standardized framework to develop, practice, and sustain a cardiac action plan across all the public high schools in Rhode Island. 1. Identify one point person “CPR champion” at each high school in Rhode Island with the help of established networks via school physicians and school nurses 2. Connect the “CPR champion” with physicians (volunteers from the Adult and Pediatric Divisions of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, and Cardiology) who have undergone training/are familiar with components of cardiac action plan 3. CPR Champions and physician liaison connect to review components of cardiac action plan and create a cardiac response team to meet regularly until components are completed 4. Utilize Lifespan Simulation Center to “drill” a simulated cardiac arrest for school cardiac response team 5. Obtain HeartSafe school certification per Project ADAM parameters 5. Review cardiac action plan annually including annual drills ANTICIPATED OUTCOME It is our hope that the implementation of a cardiac action plan will enable school staff to respond promptly, efficiently and begin CPR in the precious few minutes that would improve chances of survival. An additional positive result is that schools would potentially use this opportunity to review their protocols for other more common but more serious emergencies such as anaphylaxis, overdose, and asthma exacerbations 

Project Goal

Prepare Rhode Island High Schools to respond and initiate optimal care in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Project Objective 1

At least 75% of the RI public high schools (48 schools) will have developed a sudden cardiac arrest action plan and be credentialed as a HeartSafe School.

Project Objective 2

75% of schools (48 high schools) will have identified a CPR champion to promote awareness of the symptoms of a cardiac emergency and promote CPR training for staff and students.

Project Objective 3

90% of schools will have at least one AED onsite.

AAP District

District I

Institutional Name

Hasbro Childrens Hospital

Contact 1

Elizabeth Jacobs

Contact 2

Kirsten Lombardi