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.
Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation… even so does inactioBe true to your convictions, and do not settle. You may take some detours and encounter some roadblocks along the way, but never give up on the pursuit of excellence—however you may define that for yourself.
Elaine Welteroth
Bystander CPR Less Likely for Women Regardless of Neighborhood’s Racial/Ethnic Mix
Women who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) application regardless of the racial and ethnic makeup of the neighborhood where the event took place, according to observational US data.
How often CPR is performed and how likely people are to live after OHCA are known to vary by neighborhood makeup, with previous studies showing low bystander CPR rates in predominantly Black neighborhoods and low survival after OHCA in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. Women, more generally, have been reported to receive CPR, as well as other lifesaving therapies, less often than men after OHCA. Calls have been made for greater diversity in CPR training manikins, for example, for “womanikins,” and mobile applications have been created to foster equity, yet gaps in care gap remain.
Lead author Audrey Blewer, PhD, MPH (Duke University, Durham, NC), told TCTMD that this study’s findings, which speak to the intersection of race/ethnicity and sex, indicate an “across-the-board problem” regarding CPR and AED use for women no matter where their event takes place.
Read on: https://www.tctmd.com/news/bystander-cpr-less-likely-women-regardless-neighborhoods-racialethnic-mix
Life Saved: Intramural Basketball Player Rescued with CPR, AED
When a Duke physical therapist collapsed in Wilson Recreation Center, quick thinking and well-trained individuals revived him
By the time Marcus Arroyo arrived at Wilson Recreation Center for his first intramural basketball game of the season in late January, it already was underway, and he was in a hurry. For months, he’d been juggling clinical rotations as a student in the Duke Physician Assistant program and working with a youth group at his church, and all that meant a late arrival for his weekly game with “The Dad Bods.”
Marcus had just taken off his shoes and was preparing to change out of his work clothes when a teammate burst into the room.
“Marcus! We need your help!” he cried.
Their friend and teammate, a 35-year-old physical therapist at Duke, had collapsed on the court in the middle of the game and appeared to be having a seizure.
And Marcus, everyone on the team knew, was deep into his medical training and would know exactly what to do.
As Marcus hurried to the court in his socks, all the possible scenarios flashed through his mind: A stroke? Seizure? Heart attack?
Read more: https://today.duke.edu/2024/03/life-saved-intramural-basketball-player-rescued-cpr-aed
Giant Pharmacy launches CPR certification program
Giant Food has launched its CPR Certification Program, a new service offered to local businesses and organizations. The program, offering two-year certifications led by Giant Food’s certified pharmacists, will provide the skills to respond to life-threatening cardiac emergencies. The program, which will offer on-site training at your location, makes Giant the first community pharmacy to offer this type of service.
The CPR Certification Program is available for groups of six or more individuals starting at $69.99 per person.
Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 165 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates.
Source: https://www.supermarketnews.com/nonfood-pharmacy/giant-pharmacy-launches-cpr-certification-program
Mitchell Students Learn Hands On CPR
On February 16, 15 students from Mitchell High School Health Science 2 Honors Course and HOSA participated in a Hands-Only CPR presentation for Deyton Elementary students. The presentation was planned and led by HOSA officers and seniors, Abby Richardson, Alex Huang, and Rheagan Thomas as part of their Heart Healthy Initiative Project they will present at HOSA State Leadership Conference in April. The program began with a skit and questions for prizes. Afterward, students were broken up into small groups where they had the opportunity to practice adult and infant hands-only CPR and practice 911 calls. Each student was provided a packet of heart-healthy activities they could take home and enjoy with their family. Thank you Deyton Elementary for inviting our students to join you in the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge.
Source and great photos: https://www.ourlocalcommunityonline.com/2024/03/05/mitchell-students-learn-hands-on-cpr/
Benllech defibrillator volunteer named MP’s ‘Hidden Hero’
A BENLLECH volunteer who trains islanders to use defibrillators and also looks after the life-saving kit has been named an MP’s Hidden Hero for March.
Nick Blakeley organises free defibrillator training sessions. He is also the guardian for five of the devices to ensure they are in good working order.
Over the years, Nick has also helped his community by building a playground at the local primary school, being a film projectionist – a big passion of his – and getting involved in local donkey derbies and It’s a Knockout.
Nick, who is now hoping to raise money for more defibrillators for his village, said: “I feel recognition for what I volunteer for is a small fish in the sea for what others do and I feel I’m not really worthy of recognition as it’s something I’ve done for many years and is part of my life”.
Children’s Wisconsin offers an inside look at how providers train for critical patients
MILWAUKEE — The Dairy Cares of Wisconsin Simulation Lab puts providers to the test and has become the only accredited pediatric simulation program in the state.
The lab, located at the Children’s Wisconsin corporate office, provides state-of-the-art equipment to allow care teams to practice handling critical real-life scenarios safely.
TMJ4 News was invited to observe a resuscitation simulation. In this scenario, a 6-month-old baby was experiencing critical breathing issues.
Read/watch here: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/childrens-wisconsin-offers-inside-look-at-how-providers-train-for-critical-patients
DEPLOYED AND FORGOTTEN?
It is unfortunately common for the very existence of an AED at a given location to be something long forgotten, causing repair and maintenance tasks to go undone until it is too late.
Do automated external defibrillators (AEDs) require maintenance?
More: https://code1web.com/learning-center/do-aeds-require-maintenance/
ENCORE! The American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals and Call to Action to Improve Cardiac Arrest Outcomes
Despite significant advances in research, education, clinical practice, and community-based programs, survival from cardiac arrest remains low.
Significant disparities also exist in cardiac arrest outcomes.
Top Things to Know: https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/the-aha-ecc-2030-impact-goals-and-call-to-action-to-improve-cardiac-arrest-outcomes/top-things-to-know
Link directly to the Scientific Statement in Circulation: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001196
Bills introduced to require AEDs and cardiac arrest training in Michigan schools
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Tuesday morning, house lawmakers introduced two bills (HB 5528 & 5527), to make sure schools are prepared to handle a sudden cardiac arrest.
One bill requires high school coaches to be trained on automated electronic defibrillators and CPR. The other requires schools to create a cardiac emergency response plan.
There was a legislative committee hearing to discuss the bills on Tuesday morning.
“It was another normal day at wrestling practice, put on my shoes, got ready to run,” said Alexander Bowerson, sharing his story with house representatives.
Bowerson was a senior in high school and a three-sport athlete when he experienced cardiac arrest.
“I was running for about two minutes, I got a tight pain in my chest, and hit the floor probably about 15 seconds later,” said Bowerson.
“My wrestling coach didn’t know what to do. My athletic trainer, the athletic director, did not know what to do. It would’ve been a bad outcome, but there was an ER nurse there, who was also the varsity cheer coach,” Bowerson recalled.
Read on or watch the video: https://www.wilx.com/2024/03/05/bills-introduced-require-aeds-cardiac-arrest-training-michigan-schools/
Getting to the heart of the matter: Donato installs defibrillator in CBD
State MP Phil Donato was on the tools yesterday, installing an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) out the front of his office on Lords Place south.
The Heart of the Nation device, which cost Donato’s office around $3,000, can save lives in the event of a person going into cardiac arrest.
Donato held a media gathering outside his office on Tuesday morning to officially declare the AED available for use.
Donato said he became interested in buying an AED for the CBD after meeting former Yellow Wiggle Greg Page at an event in NSW Parliament House.
Story and video: https://www.orangenewsexaminer.com.au/post/getting-to-the-heart-of-the-matter-donato-installs-defibrillator-in-cbd
Spotlighting the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
“Our vision is to eliminate preventable death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest and support people affected by SCA. Our mission is to raise public awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and promote initiatives that help save lives through education, research, and community.”
Learn more about the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation here: https://www.sca-aware.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