Quick administration of Epinephrine can be the difference between life and death for people with serious allergies. For students with allergies on the Carleton University campus, life just became a little safer with the decision to permit members of the Carleton University Student Emergency Response Team (CUSERT) to administer the medically controlled drug when needed.
Starting this week, CUSERT volunteers will carry Epi-Pens during their 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week first aid coverage of the Carleton campus. Carleton becomes just the second university campus in Canada that has a full-time emergency response team carrying Epi-Pens.
CUSERT is comprised entirely of volunteer students, trained in advanced lifesaving techniques, including the use of oxygen and defibrillators. The team is certified as a brigade of St. John Ambulance. They were also named Team of the Year this past weekend at the National Conference for Campus Emergency Responders.
“The university has thousands of students, with 2,600 living in residence on campus, so the likelihood of serious medical emergencies is high,” says Andrew Dunbar, CUSERT’s Director, who is a fourth year student in engineering. “When a severe allergic reaction occurs, a person can become unconscious within two or three minutes, paramedics simply cannot be there within that time. Now we will be able to effectively reduce these life-threatening effects.”
Created in 1999, the demand for CUSERT services has been growing steadily. In 2002, the team began running evening shifts on Fridays and Saturdays, the two popular on-campus pub nights. Coverage was expanded to seven nights a week in 2004, leading to the decision last spring to offer the service around the clock. Now in their first year as a 24/7 team, they have gotten medical delegation from campus Health & Counselling Services director Dr. David Pfeiffer to begin Epi-Pen administration.
CUSERT currently has 36 student members who each volunteer to be on call for up to 12 hours a week.
CUSERT, like all St. John Ambulance Brigades operate at a Medical First Responder standard of care. This includes specialized skills such as Oxygen Administration, Airway Management, Spinal Injury Management, and Defibrillation.
“CUSERT is an invaluable student-run service,” says Carleton University Students Association (CUSA) president Carole Saab. “Their dedication, professionalism and consistent willingness to volunteer their time and energy are remarkable. CUSA has relied on, and will continue to rely on CUSERT to help ensure the safety of our members with complete confidence.”
For further information, please call:
Andrew Dunbar, Director, CUSERT
Tel. (613) 520-2600, ext.4166
or (613) 552-4166
adunbar@connect.carleton.ca
Monday, February 27, 2006 in News Releases
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