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.
Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are
Teddy Roosevelt
Remarkable Women: Angel Carter
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Angel Carter is teaching people how to operate life-saving technology.
“It’s one thing to have an AED on the wall,” Carter said. “You’ve got to know what to do with it.”
Carter has been a registered nurse with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for 36 years. Working in the pediatric ICU and cardiology unit, she saw what can happen in the case of cardiac arrest without the correct use of CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED).
“For me it’s very personal, because we used to get children in who had not received appropriate care, through no fault of the humans present, just lack of knowledge. That child came in with a very poor outcome,” Carter said.
Monroe Carell became an affiliate of the nationwide nonprofit, Project ADAM, which stands for Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory. Adam was a high school athlete in Wisconsin who died of cardiac arrest.
“I was given this opportunity in 2017 to start this program, and that’s what I do every day and it’s amazing,” Carter said.
Full story: https://www.wkrn.com/community/remarkable-women/remarkable-women-angel-carter/
Citizen CPR Foundation releases a new resource to help communities to improve cardiac arrest outcomes
A new resource from CCPRF provides an overview of a community-based approach to improving cardiac arrest outcomes. The resource leverages evidence-based recommendations and best practices that, when combined, can enable short- and long-term improvements for people who experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In addition to strategies, the resource features thirteen executable recommendations as well as resources from a constellation of organizational and industry partners. The Foundation designed the resource to inspire and guide communities in implementing life saving strategies, thereby helping to save more lives by preventing sudden cardiac arrest from becoming sudden cardiac death.
Improving survival isn’t limited to AEDs and training…it requires a comprehensive approach.
Access here: https://www.citizencprsummit.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Citizen-CPR-Foundation-HSC-Guide-FINAL.pdf
State Senator David Tikoian adds a 5th 24/7 accessible defibrillator to the new Boyle Athletic Complex at Smithfield High School
“From my perspective, part of keeping a community safe and prepared for a medical emergency requires the ability of lifesaving equipment to be deployed swiftly. Positioning outdoor, community AED cabinets in recreational and athletic venues across town is a safety and lifesaving initiative. I was eager to partner with the Smithfield Emergency Management Agency and their director, Todd Manni,” Tikoian said.
Access the story: https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/tikoian-donates-weather-proof-cabinet-for-aed-at-high-school/article_48b6a9e4-dfe8-11ee-9d89-a7b0dc060911.html
Olympia — A bill requiring fitness centers to carry at least one semi automatic external defibrillator (AED) was signed into law Tuesday
Senate Bill 5592, sponsored by Sen. Sam Hunt (D-Olympia), was brought forward by constituents, Kim and Karli Reiter. Rep. Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia) sponsored the House version of the bill.
Kim Reiter’s husband, Brian, passed away at age 49 from a cardiac arrest while working out at his local gym. Brian, an active community member, was captain of Thurston County Search and Rescue and a strong advocate for AEDs. According to his wife, Brian initiated the installation of an AED device where he worked and kept his AED training up to date.
His family, who testified in committee, said they hope the legislation saves lives.
“I know that this law will not bring back my husband,” said Kim Reiter. “But it will keep another family from suffering as we have.”
Expected users, such as staff on site, would need to be trained to use the device. Lacey Fire District Chief Steve Brooks said he feels confident the devices could easily be used either by staff or others who aren’t trained, if needed.
Source: https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/hunt/2024/03/19/2807/
Greg Page presents: Can Going Yellow Save More Lives?
When it comes to sudden cardiac arrest, an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a device that can have a significant impact on someone’s chance of survival. Knowing where one is, or being able to find one rapidly can literally mean the difference between life and death in some cases. What sign is the best one to help someone notice where an AED is located, or to help them find one quickly? Greg Page, survivor of sudden cardiac arrest and founder of Heart of the Nation, presents on some issues surrounding signage for AEDs and some research that has been conducted about public perception of signage.
Can AED Signage Affect Cardiac Arrest Survival?
Video presentation: https://youtu.be/v3PVYWSRrGc?si=9LBEKtFna5jY4uBN
Related article: https://aedteam.com/blogs/news/can-aed-signage-affect-cardiac-arrest-survival
Durham Parks and Rec workers honored for saving man’s life
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — There was an emotional moment during Monday’s Durham City Council meeting.
A woman got the chance to thank the parks and rec workers who saved her husband’s life when he went into cardiac arrest.
Becky Martin and her husband Steve were playing pickleball at the I.R. Holmes, Sr. Recreation Center a couple of weeks ago when he started feeling lightheaded and blacked out.
Park staff immediately knew something was wrong, and jumped into action, performing CPR and using the AED machine on site.
Martin read a letter from her son to the packed city council room.
Full story with video: https://abc11.com/durham-parks-and-rec-man-saved-cardiac-arrest-ir-holmes-sr-recreation-center/14544226/
HEARTsafe Eugene-Springfield donates AED to South Lane Fire and Rescue
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. – HEARTsafe Eugene-Springfield received a $5,000 grant from the PulsePoint Foundation — a public non-profit 501(c)(3) — for the purchase of public defibrillators following their win of the 2023 national PulsePoint AED Contest. As recipients of this grant, HEARTsafe Eugene-Springfield gifted an AED to South Lane Fire and Rescue — in honor of their HEARTsafe efforts — during a small recognition ceremony at the Cottage Grove Community Theater, where the AED will reside.
Source: https://www.peacehealth.org/news/2024-03-18/heartsafe-eugene-springfield-donates-aed-south-lane-fire-and-rescue
Kansas Lawmakers are considering a response plan for cardiac emergencies in schools
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Schools would implement an emergency plan for cardiac emergencies, under a proposal lawmakers are considering.
This plan establishes statewide standards for schools to follow, including: policies and procedures, establishing a cardiac response team, and where to locate automatic external defibrillators.
Among those speaking in support of the bill is a Kansas mom — who says says preparation saved her daughter’s life.
“Reagan’s life was saved because that day,” mom Amanda Herrman said. “We were at Washburn University, and there was an AED present. The day before she was playing basketball at a local high school and the AED was locked up in the Athletics Directors office. We may have had a very different outcome.”
Under the proposal, professionals would train school staff in CPR and in how to use an AED.
Story with video: https://www.wibw.com/2024/03/19/lawmakers-are-considering-response-plan-cardiac-emergencies-schools/
Worcester students breathe life into defibrillator fund-raiser with CPR marathon
KIND-hearted youngsters from the University of Worcester have breathed new life into a campaign to install a defibrillator at a nearby shop by taking on a 24-hour CPR marathon.
Students from Worcester’s paramedic society completed the marathon by taking turns to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a manikin for 24 hours without stopping.
The students were joined by university staff as they worked through the night without missing a beat on the manikin’s chest.
The event raised almost £1,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance, Cardiac Risk in the Young, and an ongoing fundraising campaign to have a defibrillator installed at a nearby shop.
Read on: https://worcesterobserver.co.uk/news/worcester-news-worcester-students-breathe-life-into-defibrillator-fund-raiser-with-cpr-marathon/
Cardiac arrest survivors, families urge approval of HEARTS Act
Bill to strengthen cardiac emergency response in schools would save lives
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2024 — The U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee today is considering the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which would help ensure students and school staff are prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health that is celebrating its centennial birthday this year, is urging the committee to move this bipartisan, lifesaving legislation forward. The Association is also mobilizing advocates in its You’re the Cure national grassroots network in support of the HEARTS Act.
Source: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cardiac-arrest-survivors-families-urge-approval-of-hearts-act
A life-saving device has been installed at Moanataiari School in Thames, thanks to contributions from across the community
The new AED (automated external defibrillator) was installed at the beginning of March, and principal David Brock said it would provide peace of mind not only for the staff and students, but for the wider community as well.
“It makes our school a safer environment,” he said.
“We’ve got one little girl who is a heart student here, [and] you don’t always know when you’re going to have to access something like that. We hope never, but it’s just another little safety step for us.”
The teachers’ annual first aid training was fresh in teacher aide Donna Weir’s mind when she came across AED charity The Heart Box. Donna, who’s own child also has a heart condition, asked the school to install one.
More: https://www.valleyprofile.co.nz/2024/03/19/life-saving-addition-to-school/
ENVY ALERT! Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) Report Released
Every year, the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) report offers invaluable insights into Victoria’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) system of care, revealing key statistics and initiatives geared towards enhancing survival rates.
Take a deeper dive into the findings and initiatives outlined in the VACAR Annual Report by accessing the full document.
Report Access: https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Ambulance%20Victoria%20VACAR%20Annual%20Report%202023.pdf
Cardiac Arrest Improvement Strategy: https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CAIS%202023-2028.pdf
Detroit Fire Department, mentor group teach Detroit youth CPR basics
(CBS DETROIT) – The Detroit Fire Department trained the next generation of first responders this weekend.
Career development opportunities met the DFD as a Detroit-based mentoring group called Boys 2 Men Youth Mentoring brought a taste of being a member at DFD to young men in Detroit.
Hands-on CPR training was at the forefront of discussion Saturday afternoon.
Story with video: https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/detroit-fire-department-mentor-group-teach-detroit-youth-cpr-basics/
My heart stopped — then the paramedic treating me had a heart attack
A UK woman has reunited with the emergency responder who collapsed from a heart attack in her living room — while treating her for cardiac arrest.
Daisy Devane, 31, lost consciousness on the sofa in her Bedfordshire home in June 2022. Her partner, Eammon, 33, performed CPR before the East of England Ambulance Service Trust’s crews arrived.
Senior emergency medical technician Jeremy Williams, 55, was timing her chest compressions when he suddenly felt “excruciating” pain in his chest.
“I’ve come off a motorbike at high speed, so I know what pain is but have never felt anything like I did on that day,” Williams recalled to SWNS.
His teammates quickly realized what was happening. Some continued to shock Devane — while others turned their attention to Williams to give him an electrocardiogram.
They discovered he was having a heart attack.
The team worked side by side to manage both patients and transfer them to separate hospitals — Williams was taken to Lister Hospital in Hertfordshire, while Devane was transported to Bedford Hospital in Bedfordshire.
Read on: https://nypost.com/2024/03/17/lifestyle/paramedic-treating-woman-in-cardiac-arrest-has-heart-attack/
Whiskey-tasting fundraiser to boost AED campaign
WESTPORT — The campaign to replace automated external defibrillators for all of Westport’s emergency-response vehicles invites the community to “proof” its support at an April 24 whiskey-tasting fundraiser, hosted by the Westport Firefighters Charitable Foundation.
The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at Autostrada Westport, 499-501 Post Road East. To purchase tickets online, click here.
In addition to whiskey tastings, there will be other beverages, food, entertainment and a silent auction.
Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are portable devices that deliver an electric shock to the heart to restore normal rhythms, particularly during sudden cardiac arrest.
The fundraising campaign, according to the firefighter foundation, is to ensure that new AEDs are provided for all Westport fire, police and emergency-medical service vehicles.
Source: https://westportjournal.com/community/whiskey-tasting-fundraiser-to-boost-aed-campaign/
Adrenalin can save a heart but hurt the brain. Canadian research aims to find best dose for a potent drug
Thousands of patients will be part of six-year study that could change treatment guidelines for cardiac arrest
A team of Canadian researchers co-led by Dr. Steve Lin, the interim chief of emergency medicine at Unity Health Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, hopes to learn the right dose of epinephrine, also known as adrenalin, to give to patients experiencing cardiac arrest. Right now, data is limited, but the studies that do exist suggest higher doses can leave survivors with brain damage.
When Dan Shire’s heart stopped beating in 2016, it led to a race against time to save his life.
Shire’s wife heard him struggling to breathe in the middle of the night. Then she ran to the phone to call 911, started CPR, and waited minute-by-painful-minute for first responders to show up.
Once paramedics arrived at the couple’s Pickering, Ont., home, they used a defibrillator on Shire four times, then tried a potent medication in an attempt to restart his heart.
That drug, epinephrine — also called adrenalin — is given intravenously every three to five minutes, up to an average of six milligrams. It stimulates blood flow by squeezing the blood vessels, which can, in some cases, help get someone’s heart beating again.
More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/adrenalin-heart-brain-research-1.7137066
Spotlighting Rotary Kerber Heartsafe
Inspired by Dr. Richard E Kerber (1939-2016), UI Professor of Cardiology and a founder of the American Heart Association (AHA) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines, the worldwide gold standard, the Rotary-Kerber HeartSafe Community Mission is to increase the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims in Johnson County by motivating laypersons to intervene effectively using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an automated electronic defibrillator (AED).
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