Story by Thomas Scearce
Nowadays, you can use technology for just about anything. From phones that record sleep cycles, to computers that unlock by scanning fingerprints. But could technology go as far as possibly saving lives?
The people of Sweden are putting it to the test.
According to an article in “Time, the town of Stockholm is getting emergency responders to cardiac arrest victims much faster through the use of text messages.
People who are certified in CPR are added to a network called “SMSLifesaver.” When a resident dials 112 (the Swedish equivalent to 911), a text message is sent out to those certified in CPR within 500 meters of the incident. That way, a volunteer can reach the victim before an ambulance.
But could this be adopted here in the United States?
First-year finance and accounting major Melissa Snavely thinks it’s a great idea that could save many lives.
“I think that it should be adopted in order for people to get help in any way possible. That technique allows people to get to the victims faster, and the faster CPR is started, the better chance of them getting saved.” Snavely said.
According to the article, “The likelihood of survival from cardiac arrest drops 10 percent for every minute it takes first responders to arrive. CPR administered by bystanders has been found to significantly increase the likelihood of survival, but not everyone feels comfortable doing it, or even knows how.”
However, some people are skeptical as to if this could be pulled off.
“I think that something like this could be beneficial if it is done correctly,” said first-year neuroscience major Arti Patel said. “It seems like there would be too many hurdles to face to get this done.”
Even though we don’t officially have a program similar to this here in the U.S., there is an app called Pulsepoint that operates on a similar principle. The app is loaded with information on local fires, car crashes and every other type of emergency in your whole city.
“The app is a good starting point,” Patel said. “A lot of people have smartphones now, so it seems like something that can be executed.”
