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.
If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.
-Maya Angelou, an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist
VIDEO: Hillsborough deputies save high school student using CPR, defibrillator
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A defibrillator was used to save the life of a student who collapsed during track practice in Hillsborough County.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Biland responded to a distress call on Feb. 5 at Leto High School in Tampa. On scene, Deputy Biland found the student already attached to an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), having already received the first shock from the device.
Deputy Biland gave the student CPR until Hillsborough County Fire Rescue arrived and administered a second shock, at which point the student regained a pulse.
Video and source: https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/video-hillsborough-deputies-save-high-school-student-using-cpr-defibrillator/
Saving lives with CPR? That’s kid stuff, experts say
To some people, sixth grade might seem a little young to be taking responsibility for saving lives. Riley Clower and her classmates in Laramie, Wyoming, would disagree.
Last fall, Riley and some fellow students at Laramie Middle School received CPR training at the nearby University of Wyoming. They practiced on manikins, heard songs that helped set the pace and watched a video about a girl who used CPR to save her father.
They learned that doing chest compressions was “harder than you would think,” the 12-year-old said. “But we all figured out that we could all save someone.”
CPR experts say she’s exactly right. And far from considering her too young, they say CPR training can be valuable for people not only her age, but for students who are much younger.
“I think learning CPR should be almost as fundamental as tying your shoes and looking both ways before you cross the street,” said Alik Matthews, a registered nurse and CPR instructor in Buffalo, New York.
Read more: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/02/13/saving-lives-with-cpr-thats-kid-stuff-experts-say
Valentine’s Special: Heart Health – Understanding the Differences between Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attacks
This Valentine’s Day week, heart health takes center stage as leaders at Aspirus drive home the importance of distinguishing between cardiac arrest and heart attacks. Dr. Ronnie Ortiz, an electrophysiologist with Aspirus Heart Care, emphasizes the need to understand sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) as primarily an electrical issue, which sets it apart from traditional heart attacks.
The Differences That Matter
Cardiac arrest and heart attacks are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct medical emergencies. A heart attack is a circulation issue that occurs when the heart’s main artery is blocked, leading to damage to the heart muscle. In contrast, cardiac arrest is an electrical problem that results in abnormal heart rhythms and causes the heart to stop pumping blood to the body, often leading to death within minutes if not treated promptly.
Great infographic and more: https://bnnbreaking.com/lifestyle/valentines-special-heart-health-understanding-the-differences-between-cardiac-arrest-and-heart-attacks
Another step in the effort to make Holland a HeartSafe Community begins
In conjunction with February being American Heart Month, and Wednesday being Valentine’s Day for loving hearts, HeartSafe Holland, along with the Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority, will unveil, during an 11 AM Wednesday press briefing at the Kollen Park Fire Station, two free-to-download mobile applications for use by area residents. The PulsePoint Respond and PulsePoint AED apps will alert CPR-trained citizens of cardiac events in their vicinity that they can respond to, as well as building a comprehensive Automated External Defibrillator registry, and to inform the community of emergency activity in real time.
HeartSafe Holland is an effort to train people of all walks of life the techniques to administer hands-only CPR. One of the over four thousand who has been so trained in this area, and is now a leading proponent of this initiative, is former Holland City Councilman Jay Peters.
Source with audio interview: https://whtc.com/2024/02/13/two-new-apps-for-heart-safety-in-holland-to-be-unveiled/
RELATED
Know CPR? This app can tell you when someone nearby needs help
HOLLAND — An app alerting community members of sudden cardiac arrest events in their area is coming to Ottawa County.
HeartSafe Holland and the Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority have partnered to adopt PulsePoint. Through a pair of free mobile apps — PulsePoint Respond and PulsePoint AED — the technology integrates with the county’s emergency response system, notifying participating residents trained in CPR.
When a cardiac event is called into 911 in a public place, PulsePoint Respond will alert users within 0.8 miles, including directions and the location of the closest AED.
I Never Expected to Run a Code While Running the NYC Marathon
— It turns out we were all in the right place at the right time
I’d seen a 78-year-old in cardiac arrest before.
In fact, I’ve resuscitated thousands, and run countless codes in 30-plus years as an emergency medicine nurse and doctor. I’m trained to take charge, make the most of staffing and equipment capabilities, and know what type of treatment patients have received in the field before they get to the hospital.
None of this describes my experience last November.
The “field” was the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and the prehospital team included me — in the midst of running my first New York City Marathon — and a team of strangers, fellow runners. Our equipment included our hands, voices, and collective expertise.
Read on: https://www.medpagetoday.com/popmedicine/popmedicine/108714
ISLANDERS SHARE STORY OF HOW ‘HEAVEN’S BEST’ PREVENTED A BROKEN HEART ON VALENTINE’S DAY
On Valentine’s Day, the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service wants to remind everyone of the importance of learning Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use public defibrillators, so we all have the skills to help restart a heart.
Survival rates from cardiac arrest which happen outside hospital remain worryingly low in the UK, with fewer than 1 in 10 people surviving – but there is an opportunity to greatly improve this if we take the time to learn about CPR.
Islander Gwen, the wife of a cardiac survivor, bravely shares her story about how Valentine’s Day 2023 could have left her brokenhearted if it wasn’t for early CPR intervention…
“I didn’t get a Valentine’s card last year. The only heart to feature on the day was my husband Bob’s broken one, as he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at our home in Ryde in the early hours, and he died on the hall floor in front of me.”
Red Dress/Red Tie event raises $52,000 for AtlantiCare Heart Heroes program
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP – The AtlantiCare Heart and Lung Institute hosted its 15th annual Red Dress/Red Tie Reception Feb. 8 at the Carriage House in Galloway Township. Guests wore red to raise awareness of heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.
Approximately 320 people attended the event, which raised more than $52,000. The Red Dress/Red Tie Reception has become a signature event in the community, bringing together healthcare professionals, local businesses, community members and leaders for a memorable night of entertainment while supporting an important cause.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Heart Heroes, an AtlantiCare Foundation-funded program that places automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the community. AEDs can restore a normal heart rhythm during cardiac arrest.
Cardiac Arrest Survivor Meets MTSU Students, Police Who Gave Lifesaving Care
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It was a lifesaving reunion three weeks in the making.
Racquetball playing partners twice a week for 18 years at the Middle Tennessee State University Health, Wellness and Recreation Center, Richard Detmer and Raj Srivastava were in for quite a surprise as their final game wrapped up on Friday, Jan. 19.
Detmer, a retired MTSU Computer Science professor and department chair, collapsed.
“While he was falling down, he was telling me he was fine,” said Srivastava, a Jones College of Business marketing professor. “Something in his eyes told me I needed to call for help.” Detmer was experiencing cardiac arrest.
Srivastava got Jack Morris, an aerospace student who happened to be outside the court, to immediately summon aid. MTSU students and Campus Recreation staff members Julia Rutledge, Gatlin Murr, Andrew Scrugham and Jasmine Jackson sprang into action.
“I was the first person in the room and called 2424 (MTSU Police dispatch) and for the AED (Automated External Defibrillator). We needed more help,” said Murr, a junior computer science major from Maryville, Tennessee. “We realized, ‘This is it.’ We cut his shirt open. Julia applied the AED and it advised to shock.”
See the whole story here: https://www.wgnsradio.com/article/85739/cardiac-arrest-survivor-meets-mtsu-students-police-who-gave-lifesaving-care
We need to create a culture of life savers to address cardiac arrest
Doug Roth is the chief executive officer at Heart and Stroke.
If you saw a building on fire, would you do nothing? Not likely.
We’ve been drilled since childhood about what to do in the case of fire – and to do it quickly. Our buildings are equipped with special exits, properly maintained smoke detectors, alarms, sprinklers and fire extinguishers. As a society, we’ve made fire safety a top priority. And rightly so.
There’s a critical medical emergency – cardiac arrest – that should be similarly and systematically addressed. It is a very urgent, yet highly treatable condition. Cardiac arrest is sudden and often unexpected and can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time and anywhere.
Read or listen to this article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-we-need-to-create-a-culture-of-life-savers-to-address-cardiac-arrest/
City to install AEDs at parks, fields, beaches
BEVERLY — The city is mounting a widespread effort to install automatic external defibrillators at parks, playing fields, schools, beaches and other outdoor locations throughout Beverly.
Plans call for AEDs, as they are known, to eventually be installed at 36 locations. One has already been put in place at Innocenti Park, and up to 19 more could be installed by the start of the summer season in May, said Bruce Doig, the city’s parks and recreation director.
“We obviously hope they never have to be used, but in case of emergency we want to be prepared,” he said.
The idea for the outdoor AEDs came from Ready to React, a nonprofit run by Beverly residents Kurt and Kelly Anderson. The Andersons started the organization after their son Daniel, then 17, was saved by emergency responders using a defibrillator after he went into cardiac arrest while playing basketball at a friend’s house in Peabody five years ago.
Guilford Is Installing AEDs At Several Facilities Around Town
The lifesaving devices will be strategically placed to allow for quick access during a sudden cardiac arrest emergency.
GUILFORD, CT — In an effort to remain proactive and ensure the safety of residents, the town of Guilford is installing 14 new Automated Extern Defibrillators, or AEDs, at several facilities throughout the community.
The lifesaving devices will be strategically placed to allow for quick access during a sudden cardiac arrest emergency.
“This staff-initiated project is a wonderful example of how an idea can become a reality. Many thanks to Defibtech for their generous contribution to making Guilford a safer community,” said First Selectman Matt Hoey in a news release.
The AEDs will be placed at Jacobs Beach, Chaffinch Park, Long Hill, Guilford High School (at the tennis courts and turf field), Nut Plains Park, Adams Middle School (on the Guilford Little League building and at the tennis courts), Lake Quonnipaug, and various town buildings including Social Services, Guilford Youth & Family Services, and Town Hall South.
They will also be accessible to the public at the golf course, marina, Transfer Station, and Stump Dump.
Read more: https://patch.com/connecticut/guilford/guilford-installing-aeds-several-facilities-around-town
Introducing HEARTSIGHT
HEARTSITE is a team of experts and volunteers with diverse backgrounds and skills, all linked by their lived experiences with cardiac arrest. Their aim is to reduce uncertainty and improve understanding for anyone affected by cardiac arrest by providing information and resources to those in need. They understand that life after cardiac arrest can be isolating and full of unknowns. At Heartsight, individual experiences are intricately involved in creating informational resources. They collaborate, iterate, and innovate to create trusted educational content that reduces past, present, and future uncertainty.
Learn more here: https://ourheartsight.com/
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