Emergency Cardiac Care News Digest - January 10, 2025

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.

Resolve to be a master of change rather than a victim of change.

-Brian Tracy

Trained CPR Coaches Add Impact to PICU Response Team

Study in American Journal of Critical Care evaluates impact of a curriculum and role implementation for quality CPR coaches to support hospital-based resuscitation teams during real compression events in a pediatric ICU
Specialized training at a Wisconsin children’s hospital prepared pediatric critical care nurse practitioners to serve as designated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) coaches to support other clinicians responding to patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrests.
The initiative significantly increased the presence of a CPR coach when a code team responded, which was associated with clinically significant improvements in quality CPR delivery metrics in real arrests.

Learn more about the study: https://www.aacn.org/newsroom/trained-cpr-coaches-add-impact-to-picu-response-team

“They were sort of in the room with me”: a qualitative study about callers’ experience of video streaming during medical emergency calls

Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine volume 33, Article number: 5 (2025) Cite this article
During the recent years, emergency services in several countries have integrated video streaming into medical emergency calls, and research on the topic has gained increased focus. Video streaming during medical emergency calls may change dispatcher’s perspective of the call and can be a helpful tool for supervising bystanders’ first aid. Little research exists, however, about the caller’s perspective of video streaming during a medical emergency call. With this study, researchers explore the caller’s experiences with video streaming.
The study is a qualitative interview study. During a period of five weeks, researchers recruited respondents from the region of Oslo who had called the medical emergency number 113 and where video streaming had been used by the dispatcher during the call. They conducted 14 semi-structured individual interviews, in-person or digitally on Zoom/Teams, from October to December 2023. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and were analyzed drawing on Malterud’s systematic text condensation.

Source: https://sjtrem.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13049-024-01317-8

Dothan City Schools installs 40 new AEDs for student safety

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – Although rare, sudden cardiac arrest is the number one cause of death in student-athletes.
Several cardiac-related deaths in our area and beyond have prompted action from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and school districts.
Dothan City Schools are in the process of installing 40 new AEDs.
“I believe there have been five incidents around the Wiregrass that have required some kind of defibrillation,“ Tyrone Watson with Critical Training and Maintenance said.
An incident in September claimed the life of a 23-year-old Dothan native. Nefertari Holston died in Macon after going into cardiac arrest during a cross-country meet.

Continue reading or watch the story: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/dothan-city-schools-installs-40-new-aeds-for-student-safety/ar-AA1x4CwI

Pregnant Charlotte woman uses CPR learned weeks before to save husband’s life

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte woman, who is 8-months pregnant, saved her husband’s life by performing CPR they learned together just week’s before in preparation for their baby’s February arrival.
On December 29th, Rosalik suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest while sleeping. His wife, Poly, who is eight months pregnant immediately began performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Just weeks earlier the couple took a CPR course in preparation for their baby’s February arrival. That very course enabled Poly to help save Paul’s life.

Read all about it: https://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2025/01/07/pregnant-charlotte-woman-uses-cpr-learned-weeks-before-to-save-husbands-life/

Longtime San Diego doctor on a new mission: Teach 1M people CPR

After more than 40 years in the medical field, Dr. Brad Schwartz is embarking on a new mission: to teach a million people how to perform bystander CPR.

Watch the video story: https://www.yahoo.com/news/longtime-san-diego-doctor-mission-164607227.html

Panto star Joanne Clifton shows her support for defibrillator charity OurJay Foundation

Strictly champion Joanne posed for photographs with the defibrillator donated by OurJay Foundation and recently installed on the external wall of the theatre near the Stage Door.
OurJay Foundation aims to raise awareness of the importance of having automated external defibrillators publicly accessible 24/7 and raises funds to purchase and install accessible defibrillators across Rugby, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and further afield.

More: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/community/panto-star-joanne-clifton-shows-her-support-for-defibrillator-charity-ourjay-foundation-4934164

‘Momentous milestone’ reached as 100,000 life-saving defibrillators, including 3,700 in NI, now visible to the emergency services in the UK

More people than ever before could have their lives saved from cardiac arrests thanks to campaigning by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and other health organisations, as the locations of more than 100,000 defibrillators in the UK are now visible to the emergency services.
This means that when someone has a cardiac arrest (when the heart stops pumping blood around your body) and a bystander calls 999, the ambulance services can direct them to the nearest registered defibrillator while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
There are over 1,400 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in Northern Ireland. Tragically, less than one in 10 people survive. This is partly because public access defibrillators are not used often enough. Performing quick CPR and defibrillation in the event of a cardiac arrest can be the difference between life and death.   The BHF has registered 100,000 defibrillators on The Circuit, with almost 3,700 registered in Northern Ireland, but there are many more out there that remain unregistered. 
Before The Circuit was launched by BHF, tens of thousands of defibrillators in schools, sports clubs, pubs and businesses across the country were invisible to the emergency services.

Learn more: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/health/momentous-milestone-reached-as-100000-life-saving-defibrillators-including-3700-in-ni-now-visible-to-the-emergency-services-in-the-uk-4934959

Cardiac arrest survivor weighs in: The answer is simple maintenance

I have read in the newspaper that Lodi Unified School District will be considering removing defibrillators (AEDs) from the Lodi high schools and that the Lodi City Attorney is recommending that the city remove them from the city-controlled public places.
I understand that this is because a Lodi High School student almost died when he suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest and the defibrillator at the school did not work. The student’s parent sued the district and settled for $400,000. That’s huge black mark on the school district.
But let’s get past this. In the larger scheme of things, having a defibrillator on hand gives employees or others one extra tool to use in their efforts to save lives, and in the case of SCA, generally the only tool that would save a life! High school students in Elk Grove, Walnut Creek and Los Altos have all died in the past few years because the school districts did not have a defibrillator when the students were stricken.

Continue: https://www.lodinews.com/opinion/letters/article_ce0bd1ff-5cec-5e47-8323-a5ab1b17fad0.html

When college senior’s heart stopped while playing basketball, help happened to be nearby

Until Jio Rodriguez was wheeled into the operating room for open-heart surgery last Valentine’s Day, he’d never seen his brother Brian Rodriguez cry.
But February was a month of exploring the heretofore unknown for Jio, who until then never gave his health – and especially not his heart health – much thought.
Why should he? He was 21, a college senior with graduation and job prospects on his mind. And on that first evening of February, he was playing basketball with friends in the fitness center at Central Connecticut State University in New Brit
Meanwhile, in the athletic center next door, his school’s basketball team, the Blue Devils, were playing the Red Flash of Saint Francis University. On any other evening, that game wouldn’t be as important to Jio and his teammates as their own game. But it turned out to be the first coincidence, the first domino, the first fortuitous turn of fate that would end up saving Jio’s life.
“The crazy part,” Jio said, “is that if there hadn’t been a game going on, there wouldn’t have been police officers there. They’re the ones who did CPR and used the AED (automated external defibrillator) on me.”

Access the article here: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2025/01/07/when-college-seniors-heart-stopped-while-playing-basketball-help-happened-to-be-nearby

Girl Scout saves dad days after learning CPR with her troop

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Vada Carawan was scared, but focused.
The 11-year-old’s father had just suffered a heart attack, and she was about to put her recent CPR training into practice.
Vada’s Virginia Beach Girl Scout troop had just learned CPR 11 days earlier, and in that moment late last month, with her father unresponsive and her dog upset, she channeled her energies into saving him.
“Just put your mind to anything that you would want to do,” Vada explained to Nexstar’s WAVY, recounting the moment. “First, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do CPR,’ but apparently, I can.”
And she did.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/girl-scout-saves-dad-days-after-learning-cpr-with-her-troop/ar-AA1v5kRm

Ambulance Service urges Londoners to make learning CPR their New Year’s resolution

LAS forecasts 12,000 cardiac arrests in London in 2025 and urges residents to get CPR training
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) is calling on Londoners to prioritise learning lifesaving skills in 2025, as it forecasts over 12,000 cardiac arrests in the capital during the year.
The plea comes alongside LAS’s latest report, which reveals an encouraging return to pre-pandemic survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The report highlights improved emergency response times as a key factor. Call answering times have reduced to nine seconds and ambulance arrival times cut by over three minutes.
However, the report also reveals a troubling drop in bystander intervention. While two-thirds of patients received assistance from bystanders, the figure has declined compared to previous years. When bystanders perform CPR before an ambulance arrives, survival rates double. Using a defibrillator in this critical window can quadruple the chances of survival.
Mark Faulkner, Consultant Paramedic at LAS, said:
“Being ready to save a life should be top of the New Year’s resolution list for Londoners. Learning CPR is a core life skill that everyone – including children – should know. We can save more lives if more people are prepared to intervene before paramedics arrive.”

Access to entire story here: https://chiswickcalendar.co.uk/ambulance-service-urges-londoners-to-make-lifesaving-new-year-resolution/

A five-finger mnemonic for teaching schoolchildren the theoretical components of adult basic life support: a modified reactive Delphi-guided development and memorability pilot test with schoolchildren

Experts from the European Resuscitation Council’s Basic Life Support Science and Education Committee (ERC BLS SEC), specializing in teaching adult BLS, participated in the first phase of the pilot study. This phase employed the modified reactive Delphi to develop a 5-finger mnemonic for teaching schoolchildren the theoretical aspects of adult BLS steps, in accordance with the 2021 ERC BLS guidelines. The mnemonic underwent revision rounds based on expert suggestions and was evaluated using a 9-point Likert scale. The process was repeated until there was unanimous approval. In the second phase, a pilot test was conducted with schoolchildren at a summer camp to assess their recall of the 5-finger mnemonic. Following their training in adult BLS steps utilizing the 5-finger mnemonic, schoolchildren were tasked with arranging cards depicting images from the mnemonic both before and after the training.

Learn about the results here: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06519-3

Difference Makers: Hometown heroes from LC save their coach’s life with CPR Brody Graham kneeled over his non breathing and bloodied track coach Mike Hadway, desperately performing CPR.

The junior at Lewis and Clark High School had considered the possibility he might someday use CPR, but certainly not on 70-year-old Hadway, who was active and in otherwise good health.
Graham learned CPR while being trained as a lifeguard the summer prior, when his instructor told him of another student who had to administer compressions in the middle of a college lecture.
“I was like, ‘That could be me.’ That thought had run through my mind,” Graham said. “And then it happens, and I’m like, ‘Whoa, I’m actually using CPR.’ ”
Dazed, frightened and alone, the LC track team acted quickly when its beloved coach collapsed near Manito Park during practice in a cardiac arrest last March. Seventeen-year-olds Graham and teammate Grant Lichfield decisively and successfully administered CPR to their coach and saved his life, allowing him to return to his family and continue volunteering as one of the most successful running coaches in the Greater Spokane League, in which many local high schools compete.

More: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/dec/29/difference-makers-hometown-heroes-from-lc-save-the/

More defibs available to save lives in 2025

South Australians will have access to life-saving equipment in a cardiac emergency in more locations across the state from the start of the new year thanks to nation-leading legislation passed by the State Government.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) will become mandatory in relevant State Government owned buildings, facilities, and emergency service vehicles from 1 January 2025, under the Automated External Defibrillator (Public Access) Act 2022.
This includes public primary and secondary schools, the State Library and venues such as Coopers Stadium, Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Adelaide Convention Centre.
Over 2,000 additional AEDs have been ordered to ensure compliance with the Australia-first legislation – first introduced by Frank Pangallo MLC and then adopted by the Malinauskas Labor Government – which aims to increase community access to AEDs in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Source: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/772148892/more-defibs-available-to-save-lives-in-2025

Feasibility of Drone AEDs for Faster Response in Rural Areas

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a global health concern with high mortality, and early defibrillation is crucial for improving survival rates.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the feasibility of autonomous drone delivery of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in non-urban areas with physical barriers and compared the time to defibrillation (TTD) with bystander retrieval from public access defibrillator (PAD) points and helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) physician-administered defibrillation.
They organized a randomized simulation-based trial with a cross-over design, where bystanders retrieved AEDs through automated drone delivery or by walking to a PAD point, along with simulated HEMS interventions. The primary outcome measured was the TTD, while secondary outcomes included workload, perceived physical effort, and ease of use (as stated in brackets).

Learn more: https://www.physiciansweekly.com/feasibility-of-drone-aeds-for-faster-response-in-rural-areas/

VIDEO PICK: St John Ambulance Australia CPR Flashmob | Sydney Central Station

Watch the moment Sydney Central Station came alive to raise awareness of the importance of Hands-Only CPR.

ENCORE! Citizen CPR Foundation Announces Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit Save the Date and Call for Presentations

“In choosing this year’s focus and theme, we have expanded our topics and reach to use our lessons learned, research, and best practices to address the preparation, identification and care in resuscitating patients whose hearts have stopped no matter the cause.”
-Ed Racht, MD, CASSummit 2025 Program Chair

Learn more here: https://citizencpr.org/cassummit/#call-for-presentation

ENCORE! SPOTLIGHT: Citizen CPR Foundation

At the Citizen CPR Foundation, their mission is to save lives from sudden cardiac arrest by fostering a culture of preparedness and response within communities.
The Citizen CPR Foundation believes that every individual has the potential to make a difference in time-sensitive emergencies and is committed to empowering citizens, professionals and organizations through comprehensive education, training and advocacy. Together, they work to create stronger community support systems that will improve sudden cardiac arrest outcomes.

Learn more here: https://citizencpr.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?

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