Emergency Cardiac Care News Digest - January 3, 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.

There is no difference between saving lives and extending lives, because in both cases we are giving people the chance of more life.

-Aubrey de Grey

President Biden signs bipartisan HEARTS Act into law The American Heart Association says bill will save lives in schools nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 26, 2024 — President Biden earlier this week signed into law the bipartisan Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which will help ensure students and staff in schools nationwide are prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency. The bipartisan legislation unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives in September and the U.S. Senate earlier this month.
The American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, strongly supports this legislation as part of its goal to double the survival rates from cardiac arrest nationwide by 2030 through its Nation of Lifesavers movement.
“The bipartisan HEARTS Act is a monumental step forward in saving lives from cardiac arrest on school grounds and athletic facilities across the country,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “By ensuring schools nationwide are equipped with cardiac emergency response plans, CPR training and AEDs, critical resources will be available to students, staff and visitors that can mean the difference between life and death during a cardiac emergency.”

Source: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/president-biden-signs-bipartisan-hearts-act-into-law

Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Among Healthcare and Non-healthcare Workers in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study Using a Web-Based Questionnaire

Cardiopulmonary arrest is a leading cause of death and requires swift intervention for survival. Previous studies have highlighted the critical importance of initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation within a limited timeframe. Improving outcomes depends on widespread CPR training, accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and increased public awareness. Japan’s universal healthcare system and accessible emergency medical services create an ideal environment for timely intervention. While global research has examined CPR hesitancy, few studies have focused on this issue in Japan. This study investigated willingness and attitudes toward CPR among various occupational groups in Japan, emphasizing the initial steps in responding to cardiopulmonary arrest.
This study explored the willingness and attitudes toward CPR among diverse occupational groups in Japan, focusing on the initial steps in responding to patients with cardiopulmonary arrest.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted through an Internet panel research company. Participants, stratified by occupation, age, and sex, completed a web-based questionnaire on CPR knowledge and willingness to act in a cardiac arrest scenario. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate linear regressions to identify factors influencing CPR attitudes and behaviors.

More: https://www.cureus.com/articles/326397-attitudes-and-behaviors-toward-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-among-healthcare-and-non-healthcare-workers-in-japan-a-cross-sectional-study-using-a-web-based-questionnaire#!/

Surfing Santas & CPR: Holiday tradition teams up with local charity to save lives

WKMG News 6 Click Orlando
The annual Surfing Santas event in Cocoa Beach brought more than holiday cheer to thousands of attendees this year — it also carried a life-saving mission.

New Prairie Educator Earns National Honor

(New Carlisle, IN) – A New Prairie High School teacher has earned national recognition for her efforts to prevent sudden cardiac deaths.
Tonya Aerts teaches biomedicine at New Prairie. She began her advocacy for AEDs and CPR training in 2019 following the death of New Prairie Senior Mark Mayfield. Mayfield passed away from sudden cardiac arrest after collapsing during an intramural basketball game at the school.
Aerts introduced Project ADAM to Indiana and established New Prairie as the state’s first Heart Safe high school in 2021. Project ADAM is a nationwide program that helps communities prepare for effective response to cardiac events. Currently there are more than 40 designated Heart Safe Schools in Indiana.

Full story: https://hometownnewsnow.com/local-news/773760

Australian surf lifesavers remembered for brave act to improve CPR techniques

Grant Dearlove considers his dad a hero — but instead of a cape, he wore bathers.
Mr Dearlove was a young boy when his father, Jack Dearlove, and three other surf life savers put their bodies on the line in an extraordinary medical experiment more than 60 years ago.
By voluntarily being anaesthetised and paralysed, these “guinea pigs” helped pave the way for modern resuscitation techniques still in use today.
“They basically said to the anaesthetists, ‘Well guys, why don’t you kill us and bring us back to life?’,” Grant Dearlove said.

Read the story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-26/australian-surf-lifesavers-medical-experiment-resuscitation-cpr/104670574

Chat with the Chief: Fresno Fire Department’s high-performance CPR success rate

New techniques are helping save lives in the Central Valley.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — New techniques are helping save lives in the Central Valley.
Fresno Firefighters are being trained to perform high-performance CPR, a highly choreographed way of helping patients survive cardiac arrest.
It’s coordinated between fire and ambulance personnel.

Watch the video story: https://abc30.com/post/chat-chief-fresno-fire-departments-high-performance-cpr-success-rate/15703529/

How a Detroit Lions fan’s life was saved and then lost — and the real message behind it

Jeremy Schmidt was given a gift on Sunday: four or five extra hours with his father, Wally Schmidt — a big-hearted man who loved to fish and work on cars and go to car shows and was “my rock, my last pillar.”
Wally, 65, collapsed on the field in Soldier Field on Sunday morning before the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears.
“I saw his eyes roll back,” Jeremy said, “and immediately, I’m yelling for help.”
Ben Roth, an off-duty paramedic from Texas, rushed to help, assessing the symptoms.
“That man gave me four or five more hours with my dad, which is invaluable,” Jeremy said. “That guy was amazing for what he did with no hesitation.”
As state troopers came to help and Bears personnel got an AED (automated external defibrillator) machine, CPR was started and Roth pushed the AED button, giving Wally a shock and bringing him back to life.

Access the full story: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2024/12/24/detroit-lions-fans-life-was-saved-and-lost-and-the-message-of-it/77186691007/

Victorian cardiac arrest survival rates triple

New research shows Victorians are more likely to survive a cardiac arrest compared to 20 years ago, thanks to increased bystander intervention.
The study, supported by Ambulance Victoria (AV), found Victorians who experience a bystander-witnessed initial shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in 2021-22 were three times more likely to pull through than two decades ago.
The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) was used to assess more than 102,000 OHCA cases attended by emergency medical services in Victoria between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2022.
The figures showed in 2022 Victorians were 4.5 times more likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared to 2003.
Rates of bystander defibrillation from publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) also increased 22-fold during this time.
Victorians are more likely to survive a cardiac arrest compared to 20 years ago.
AV Director Research and Evaluation Dr Ziad Nehme said the data reflected a positive change in bystander intervention.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is a major public health challenge so it’s great we’re seeing more people willing to jump in and help,” he said.
“We know survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest depends on the chain of survival and quick bystander intervention.
“This is why boosting the responsiveness of community members to these events is critical.”
This study is one of the first to examine long term trends in 12-month patient outcomes.

Source: https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/victorian-cardiac-arrest-survival-rates-triple/

Students Save a Life After Teacher Has Medical Crisis In Class

In a real Christmas miracle, students save their teacher’s life when he tries to nail a particularly gnarly skate trick and goes into cardiac arrest.
At McArthur High School in San Antonio, Adam Compton, 46, was leading a Skate Club with some students. He was taking it easy, conserving energy when he had to take a sit down. “I was skating real mellow that day, trying to save energy, be able to do some more tomorrow and what I remember is sitting down for a little bit,” he told KEN5.
His students immediately noticed something was up with their teacher and rushed over to check on him. But, the situation was already turning drastic by the time they reached him. He had passed out, and the students had to act fast to save their teacher’s life.
While one of the students called the emergency services, another ran to get the school medical professional.
Because of the speed at which they responded, the necessary actions were taken to keep the teacher alive. When Athletic Trainer Amanda Boyd arrived, she checked for a pulse and found nothing. “I turned him over and looked for a pulse and I couldn’t find any and from there I knew he needed CPR, so I began compressions,” she remembers.

Full story: https://www.wideopencountry.com/students-save-teachers-life-after-he-has-medical-crisis-in-class/

‘I’m just grateful’: Co-worker performs CPR, helps save tree trimmer shocked by power line

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WVLT/Gray News) – A tree trimmer in Tennessee is grateful to be alive after being shocked by a power line during a recent job.
Jonathon Lane said his workday started on Dec. 9 like any other day. He and his coworkers were tasked that day with trimming trees near power lines along Red Bone Way in Sevier County.
“Everything felt like it was just normal,” he said.
Lane has only been working as a tree trimmer for over a month after leaving the service industry.
He said he just wanted a job that got him outside and found that in trimming trees.
But that Monday, his outdoor work changed quickly.
“I remember going to work and breaking down the truck. I remember pulling up to the road, and then after that, I don’t really remember anything about the accident,” Lane said.
According to Lane, he was walking around the bucket truck when he was shocked and he didn’t wake up until he was in the ICU.

Source: https://www.knoe.com/2024/12/20/im-just-grateful-co-worker-performs-cpr-helps-save-tree-trimmer-shocked-by-power-line/?outputType=amp

Borrello Views AEDs on Allegany-Limestone School Buses

ALLEGANY, NY — Sen. George Borrello visited the Allegany-Limestone Central School District bus garage Wednesday to see firsthand the automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the district’s school buses. This initiative is the first of its kind in New York State.
Borrello, whose district includes the Greater Olean area, worked with state officials to obtain approval to install the devices.
The process began two years ago when Curtis Peters, the district’s transportation supervisor, envisioned equipping all district buses and vans with AEDs to address potential medical emergencies, especially during long rural bus routes or athletic trips. Ambulance response times in the district’s rural areas could take 10 to 20 minutes — time that could make the difference in saving a life.

Read the story here: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/greater-olean/sections/government/articles/borrello-views-aeds-on-allegany-limestone-school-buses

Go 4 It: Community effort drives Detroit’s HEARTSafe designation

DETROIT – When we put the word out that we were partnering with the City of Detroit to teach hands-only CPR, you responded in a big way.
We were surprised by the massive turnout and its impact in making Detroit the largest city to earn a HEARTSafe Community designation.
Communities that earn the designation have a documented increase in the number of people who know how to perform CPR and have an increased readiness for how to handle cardiac arrest events.
More than a thousand people showed up at the Northwest Activity Center in Detroit. People were happy to meet Local 4’s anchors and reporters but were even more excited to learn CPR.
And we were eager to train anyone who wanted to learn. Volunteers stayed late to make sure everyone who showed up learned to help save a life.
Dr. Rob Dunne, the medical director for the Detroit Fire Department, and Detroit Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms said the event made an important difference.
One factor in achieving the HEARTSafe designation is yearly CPR training for 15% of the community. It would be a challenging goal without the enthusiasm and support events like our Go 4 It CPR Day created.

Video story: https://www.clickondetroit.com/community/2024/12/20/go-4-it-community-effort-drives-detroits-heartsafe-designation/

He Died Twice in March. Now, He’ll Celebrate Christmas With His Family

Last March, Katie Walker woke to a disturbing sound.
It was nearly midnight; she and her husband Andrew were sleeping, their two young children tucked in their rooms across the hall in the family’s Charlottesville home.
“(Andrew) let out a huge gasping inhale and it sounded really wrong,” she recalled. “So, I turned on the light. His eyes were wide open and just dead. So that’s when I grabbed my phone, called 911, then put on speaker (phone) and started CPR.”
The dispatcher counted aloud to help pace Walker as she put one hand over the other, keeping her arms straight, and pressed Andrew’s chest hard and vigorously. Experts advise administering 100 to 120 chest compressions a minute, pushing down at least two inches each time to create an artificial pump doing the work of the heart.
Timing is critical. Fewer than one in 10 people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive.
As Katie wept and frantically pumped, with 911 still on the line, a fire engine sped from Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department carrying six EMTs, including two University of Virginia student volunteers. Google Maps predicted the fastest route to the Walker home would take 11 minutes. The Cleveland Clinic says a person’s survival rate drops by 10% as each minute passes.

Source: https://news.virginia.edu/content/he-died-twice-march-now-hell-celebrate-christmas-his-family

ENCORE! 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.

Source: https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local-medical-professionals-debunk-viral-cough-cpr-advice/article_87cfdebc-b741-11ef-95aa-b7561974c2aa.html

Related: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-arrest/emergency-treatment-of-cardiac-arrest/cough-cpr

VIDEO PICK: Hands of Time: Celebrating 50 Years of CPR

This video honors some of the scientists who developed the lifesaving combination of breaths and chest compressions now known as CPR. Discover the remarkable history of this simple technique that shows the lasting effect our hands play in helping to save a life. Watch testimony from some of the leading scientists who studied and developed CPR and experience the remarkable stories of sudden cardiac arrest survivors and rescuers whose lives have been profoundly changed by CPR.

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

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?

Feel free to email david@code1web.com