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Emergency Cardiac Care News Digest - December 13 2024
Emergency Cardiac Care News Digest is an assortment of current events and news related to emergency cardiac care and resuscitation. Produced by Code One Training Solutions, Emergency Cardiac Care News Digest is published every Friday throughout the year.
Acts of kindness change people. Small acts of kindness change people in a small way. A big enough act of kindness can alter the course of a person’s life entirely
-Catherine Ryan Hyde
Bolton firefighter collapses during call, CPR saves victim and firefighter
BOLTON, Conn. (WFSB) – A Bolton firefighter is alive tonight thanks to the quick action of his colleagues.
That firefighter became the patient during a recent call and lived to tell about it.
Steve Clark and Dave are two men from Bolton with similar stories to tell.
“I was sitting in a chair and all of a sudden I just blacked out,” said Dave.
First responders were called to Dave’s house on Brandy Street on October 9.
“As I walked in, he wasn’t breathing, he did not have a pulse. I said to Chief Dixon, ‘Call a code,’” said Chuck Rexroad, EMT Instructor, Bolton Fire Department.
More emergency crews arrived, including firefighter Steve Clark.
“I started to feel a little lightheaded. I went to brace myself and that’s pretty much what I remember,” said Steve.
Video and print story link: https://www.wfsb.com/2024/12/11/bolton-firefighter-collapses-during-call-cpr-saves-victim-firefighter/
How one defibrillator saved two lives
Two runners, Malcolm and Stephen, survived cardiac arrests within weeks of each other thanks to the same defibrillator.
Two runners survived a sudden cardiac arrest within weeks of each other thanks to the same defibrillator that was registered on The Circuit.
Malcolm collapsed and stopped breathing in March this year during a relay race on Glasgow Green, but a defibrillator located 200 metres away was used to restart his heart.
Then, just weeks later in April, Stephen took part in a lunchtime run in the park and also suffered a cardiac arrest. Again, the same defibrillator was used restart his heart.
In both cases, a member of the public called 999, and the emergency call handler directed them to the nearest defibrillator registered on The Circuit – the national network which allows emergency services to locate and direct callers to the lifesaving devices. The defibrillator was on the outside wall of the nearby boathouse.
Read all about it: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/stories/how-1-defibrillator-saved-2-lives
Troopers to carry life-saving defibrillators
The difference between life and death for medical first responders often is just one minute. Indiana State Police and the Vevay Police Department now will be able to use that minute to benefit victims of medical emergencies.
Five ISP troopers in Jefferson and Switzerland counties have been issued defibrillators to assist in making cardio-pulmonary resuscitation efforts more effective in cardiac arrest cases. “With more of these units in circulation a faster response time will increase the chances of surviving this type of medical emergency,” said Trooper G.M. “Matt” True, a Jefferson County resident assigned to the Versailles ISP post.
True said the state police are the only law enforcement agency in Indiana to train its personnel to the level of the first responder. “This new cutting edge equipment will improve the service that troopers can provide to the community,” he said.
“Defibrillator units are being issued all over the state over the next few months, mainly in rural areas, to improve response time,” he said. “When minutes make the difference between life and death, the Indiana State Police want to be that minute.”
Top in cardiology: Sudden cardiac death among athletes; bystander CPR improves outcomes
Sudden cardiac death is the main cause of medical death among recreational and professional athletes and remains a public health issue, according to a review published in The Lancet.
Healio spoke with Jonathan H. Kim, MD, council chair and director of sports cardiology and associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Emory University, concerning risk variation among different demographics and best practices for the prevention of sudden cardiac death.
Sudden cardiac death is the main cause of medical death among recreational and professional athletes and remains a public health issue.
Men and self-identified Black athletes are at higher risk for sudden cardiac death compared with women and white athletes, but “the reasons for that are unknown,” Kim said. The primary cause behind cardiac death will differ based on age, he added.
Continue reading: https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20241209/top-in-cardiology-sudden-cardiac-death-among-athletes-bystander-cpr-improves-outcomes
Biology student’s quick response saves a life
During a BIOL 119 hospital shift, Neha Varrier did CPR on a patient until help arrived.
Neha Varrier was in the middle of a shift as a patient sitter at N.C. Memorial Hospital in October when she heard a jarring thump in the adjoining room.
“I wasn’t sure what to do at first,” said Varrier, a sophomore majoring in quantitative biology. “As a patient sitter, you’re told to never leave your patient alone. But I could tell something wasn’t right. I didn’t hear anyone else running into the other room, so I went to peek in around the corner.”
Varrier found a patient on the floor, unresponsive.
It’s a situation most students in BIOL 119, an experiential service course piloted this fall, don’t expect to face.
The course is designed to help meet the overwhelming need for patient sitters — staff who sit with patients who require dedicated supervision. A collaboration among the Office of Health Professions Advising in the Office of the Provost, Ingram Institute at UNC Health, biology department and School of Nursing, BIOL 119 provides required training, certifications and experience working four-hour shifts. The 26 students in the course also attend class to discuss their experiences with faculty and peers each week.
Although all BIOL 119 students are certified in CPR, they aren’t likely to need to use lifesaving measures on a patient, especially one not under their care — the situation Varrier faced.
Source: https://www.unc.edu/discover/biology-students-quick-response-saves-a-life/
TOUCHDOWN! SCHUMER SUCCESSFULLY PASSES BUFFALO BILLS’ DAMAR HAMLIN’S LIFESAVING HEARTS ACT
Schumer & Hamlin Worked Together For Months, And Tonight Schumer Successfully Passed Hamlin’s Lifesaving HEARTS Act – UNANIMOUSLY! – To Bring More AEDs To Schools Across America
Schumer-Hamlin Bill Now Heads To The President’s Desk To Be Signed Into Law
Chuck & Damar: Together We Got This Lifesaving Bill In The Endzone To Bring AEDs To Schools Across America
After standing with Buffalo Bills’ Safety Damar Hamlin, student-athletes, and Bills Mafia earlier this week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he successfully passed their lifesaving HEARTS Act in the Senate, and that it will now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Schumer said this bipartisan legislation will help put more AEDs – like the one that saved Damar’s life – into schools and help make CPR training more accessible across America.
“Touchdown! I’m proud to announce, after months of working with Damar Hamlin and the Buffalo Bills, the Senate has just passed the lifesaving HEARTS Act to put more AEDs in schools across America – like the one that saved Damar’s life,” said Senator Schumer. “Damar and I formed the perfect team, bringing together teachers, healthcare leaders and athletes to make sure every student has access to the kind of life-saving care he did. This legislation goes beyond the field and its impacts will stretch thousands of miles outside Buffalo to help millions of kids. Now, the HEARTS Act is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law and save lives.”
Read more here: https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/touchdown-schumer-successfully-passes-buffalo-bills-damar-hamlins-lifesaving-hearts-act
UMD offers opioid reversal medication in 150 boxes across campus
Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, has been available in 150 automated external defibrillator boxes across the University of Maryland’s campus as of Nov. 26.
Naloxone is a “safe and life-saving medication” that people may not realize they need until an emergency hits, according to Rachel Alinsky, the medical director of the Substance Use Intervention and Treatment Unit. It rapidly reverses an opioid overdose through a nasal spray, according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“Our priority is always to take care of our community’s health, and in order to do so, it’s important that we make resources available that can help save lives,” university president Darryll Pines told The Diamondback on Dec. 5. “We can reduce barriers that keep them from getting into the hands of someone who needs them.”
A Maryland Senate bill that went into effect in October requires Naloxone to be available in all AED machines placed in public buildings, including this university’s campus, according to Madeleine Moore, the Health and Wellness Services substance use and harm reduction program manager at the University Health Center.
Full story: https://dbknews.com/2024/12/10/opioid-reversal-medication-150-boxes/
Walking in a rhythmic wonderland with holiday songs that could help save lives
When you hear a favorite holiday tune, you might not immediately connect it with CPR.
But there’s an easy-to-understand reason why you might want to start, said Dr. John W. Hafner, a clinical professor of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Peoria.
“You can really save a life just by doing simple chest compressions and pushing hard and pushing fast,” he said. “And music can help you remember how fast is fast.”
According to American Heart Association estimates, each year in the United States, roughly 350,000 people not in hospitals have a cardiac arrest, where the heart suddenly stops beating. CPR, if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s odds of survival by sending blood to the brain and other vital organs. But only an estimated 40% of people receive bystander CPR.
The first steps in performing CPR don’t involve music. “Anytime someone collapses, and you can’t wake them up, you need to immediately contact 911,” Hafner said. Dispatchers can walk you through the steps of giving CPR, even if you haven’t been trained.
Continue reading: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/12/11/walking-in-a-rhythmic-wonderland-with-holiday-songs-that-could-help-save-lives
Effect of blindfolding the lead resuscitator on frequency of closed-loop communication during veterinary cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: a randomized, controlled pilot study
UK study evaluates the effect of blindfolding the lead resuscitator during veterinary cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) simulation training sessions on frequency of completed closed-loop communication statements (CLC).Ten groups of staff volunteers were recruited for a prospective, randomized, blinded, observational pilot study over a 6-month period. Additionally, two associated online questionnaires were completed by participants.
Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1484506/abstract
Local medical professionals debunk viral ‘Cough CPR’ advice
PADUCAH — Local medical officials sat down Tuesday morning to debunk popular social media advice about heart attacks and coughing. That advice, called “Cough CPR,” has medical professionals taking to social media to clear misinformation.
Cough CPR advises people experiencing chest pain or other heart attack symptoms to cough multiple times very hard until they can get medical help.
“Cough and CPR are really two totally separate terms, meaning, CPR means cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and coughing in no way does CPR,” said Vedran Oruc.
Oruc is a cardiac electrophysiologist at Baptist Health Paducah. He noted that in some cases, coughing could be helpful.
“There are certain types of rhythm problems that can respond to things like coughing or bearing down. We call these vagal maneuvers, and there are some benign or non-life-threatening rhythm problems that can potentially improve with these sorts of treatments. That being said, there are a lot of other rhythm problems or other heart conditions that don’t respond well to maneuvers like this, meaning that if someone’s having a heart attack, or if someone’s having a life-threatening rhythm problem, coughing will not help with those sorts of conditions,” he said.
Socioeconomic status or educational level are associated with likelihood of CPR administration in children
The odds on whether a child survives a cardiac arrest may depend on where they live, according to a new study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
This study found that certain social factors that influence health are associated with lower odds of children receiving CPR, application of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and surviving after experiencing a cardiac arrest.
These factors include socioeconomic or poverty status, education level and minority racial makeup.
“This may be due in part to a lack of education on how to administer CPR and AED,” said emergency pediatrics doctor and study author Dr. Mary Bernardin.
Continue reading: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241210142134.htm
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and CV Care Following Drowning: Updated Guidelines
Updated guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiovascular care following drowning were published in Circulation. The new guidance is a joint effort between the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and was developed based on systematic reviews completed by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Basic Life Support (BLS) Task Force. One major update is the recommendation to provide CPR with rescue breaths and chest compressions to all individuals experiencing cardiac arrest post-drowning.
Well-known Albuquerque doctor performs life-saving CPR — during a CPR training session at Pit
No one plans cardiac arrest, but if it could be done you’d want to have a prominent cardiologist nearby. Some paramedics would be handy, too.
When a woman went into apparent cardiac arrest Saturday morning during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, training at the Pit, most of the 200 to 300 people attending the morning session were too engaged in the instruction to notice.
But cardiologist Barry Ramo, the founder of the CPR training known as Project Heart Start, was right there.
“Someone said this woman was not feeling well,” Ramo said. “I looked over and saw this lady, 70 to 75 years old, sitting on a ledge at the side of the Pit. I walked over and she looked ashen. While I was talking to her, she listed to the right. I grabbed her. There were four paramedics with me and we put her on the ground.”
Print and audio: https://www.abqjournal.com/article_de899620-00d1-11ef-bb86-cb4a5d40748e.html
Out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests in Victoria, 2003–2022: retrospective analysis of Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry data
Utstein survival to hospital discharge increased threefold during 2003–2022, and the proportions of cases in which bystanders provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation or public access defibrillation increased. The COVID‐19 pandemic was associated with a substantial reduction in survival, and new strategies are needed to improve outcomes.
Researchers conducted a retrospective observational study of OHCA cases attended by emergency medical services in Victoria during 1 January 2003 – 31 December 2022. They included all OHCA cases, regardless of patient age and aetiology, but excluded OHCAs witnessed by EMS personnel, as they comprise a specific OHCA population with different predictors of survival. We also excluded cases in which witness status was unknown.
Delays in emergency care at CT care facility caused woman’s death, lawsuit alleges
HARTFORD — The estate of an 85-year-old woman who died after collapsing while dancing at an adult day care center in New Britain is suing the center, alleging her death stemmed from delays in lifesaving care such as CPR and use of a defibrillator to restart her heart.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state Superior Court in Hartford, is Peggy E. Day of Simsbury, acting as administrator of the estate of her mother, Clotilde Gamarra.
Gamarra died in May 2023, several weeks after her collapse at the Juniper Homecare “adult day center” on Spring Street in New Britain, according to the complaint in the lawsuit, filed by lawyer Jennifer B. Goldstein of Silver Golub & Teitell.
For the first six minutes and 42 seconds after the collapse, no Juniper employee performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Gamarra, used an automated external defibrillator to restart her heart or administered any other lifesaving or emergency measure, the complaint says.
Vanderbilt Team Developing Battlefield Life Support Technology
Nashville, TN – Investigators from Vanderbilt University Medical Center are part of a national team that has been awarded $18.2 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop advanced life support components expected to improve battlefield care for combat-wounded military personnel.
Principal Vanderbilt investigators include Matthew Bacchetta, MD, MBA, and Rei Ukita, PhD, will lead efforts to evaluate the cannula and oxygenator for a novel advanced life support system (ALSS) in a large animal model and to design and develop a prototype of the automated system.
Modern military conflicts can leave soldiers with extensive, traumatic injuries from weapons of war such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Battlefield medics often have limited resources, time and expertise to provide life-sustaining, emergency care for those critically injured.
The Innovative Resuscitation and Optimized Novel Multi-organ support with Autonomous ECMO for Non-medical personnel and medics) project will develop the core components of an ALSS-capable device to provide automated resuscitation for soldiers with critical blood loss, as well as delivery and closed loop control of respiratory support via a novel, extracorporeal (outside the body) gas exchange system.
ENCORE: MGH’s Dr. Ali Raja speaks to Newscenter 5 about why December has the highest rate of heart attacks
Studies show December has the highest rate of heart attacks out of any month. Newscenter 5 spoke with the deputy chair of Mass. General’s Emergency Medicine Department, Dr. Ali Raja, on the warning signs of a heart attack and what people can do to help someone experiencing a heart attack while they wait for the ambulance.
Video story: https://www.wcvb.com/article/dr-ali-raja-on-december-heart-attacks/63074326
VIDEO PICK: Funny Ambulance Defibrillator Commercial Advertisement from Dutch Centraal Beheer Insurance 2010
SPOTLIGHT: Aliver Foundation
The Aliver Foundation’s Mission is to raise awareness and funds to install all weather AEDs in outdoor recreation spaces while also providing crucial resources and educational opportunities to individuals and communities.
Learn more: https://www.thealiverfoundation.org/
Did you catch something in the news related to resuscitation recently that you would like to see in this digest? Want to spotlight an event or activity aimed at improving cardiac arrest outcomes?
Feel free to email david@code1web.com
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