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.
Study the past and you will define the future.
Confucius
History gives us an opportunity to analyze and explain problems identified in the past, it positions us to see patterns and issues that might otherwise be invisible in the present and can provide a crucial perspective for understanding (and solving) current and future problems.
ACT FAST! The Citizen CPR Foundation Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit registration ends Sun., Nov. 19!
A future of improved outcomes is not predetermined and is not predictable. Be a persuader of positive change in the future, a future of improved outcomes.
For resuscitation providers, educators, CPR instructors, trainers, survivors, advocates and more worldwide passionate about saving lives, CASSummit is the largest and only conference of its kind providing the opportunity to learn from the widest array of resuscitation experts on the latest science, education and implementation across the full chain of survival.
Here’s what’s happening:
- A lineup of more than 225 speakers from the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Singapore and more!
- 45+ concurrent sessions with 100+ presentations across four tracks, plus poster presentations and round-table discussions
- Networking opportunities with experts in the field of resuscitation, in-hospital care, EMS, community education and training
- Powerful and inclusive CPR Saves Lives Rally
Learn more and register: https://citizencpr.org/summit2023/
A look back at early defibrillation challenges from a decade ago-The Automated External Defibrillator: Medical Marvel But Measurement Mystery
Lack of Data Gathering Impedes Broader and More Effective Use of a Life-Saving Device
May, 2012 – PHILADELPHIA: Publicly-accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can seem near-miraculous in their ability to pull sudden cardiac arrest victims back from sure death. Not surprisingly, stories of their successes have a strong emotional appeal in a country where more than 900 people die of cardiac arrest every day. But actually measuring and analyzing the national scope and impact of this “bystander”
The nearly-miraculous medical capabilities of AEDs are well established but scientific data about their placement, use and outcomes is lacking.
AED emergency response model remains an elusive goal for policy makers and the nation’s health care research community.
Read more: http://ldihealtheconomist.com/he000019.shtml
The Healthcare Foundation (HFL) of La Porte announces commitment to achieve the HEARTSafe designation
On Friday, November 3, 2023, Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) held its second AED Celebration in 2023 at the HFL Conference & Learning Center. Each year, HFL provides grants for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of its When Seconds Count: AED Initiative. The community is implementing a phased approach with Phase 1 focused on seeking designation for the City of La Porte, Indiana. HFL is partnering with the City of La Porte Fire Department, La Porte County EMS, La Porte County E-911 Communications Center, Northwest Health – La Porte, and Play for Jake Foundation to become a HEARTSafe community.
Read about their recent AED Celebration: https://laportecounty.life/article/la-porte-hosts-aed-celebration/
About HEARTSafe: https://citizencpr.org/heartsafe/
“The Quiet Place”
Editorial-Journal of Cardiac Failure
One dark morning last May, I wrecked my body giving 10 minutes of CPR. My 34-year-old husband, Will, had been lying peacefully next to me, both of us fast asleep. I woke up suddenly to a loud noise I will never forget.
At first, I thought he was snoring. I groggily nudged him, but he just continued making the horrible sound. I shook his shoulder, but he didn’t respond. As reality set in, I realized that the sound had an urgent, panicked quality to it. It wasn’t rhythmic or soft. His torso didn’t gently rise and fall as I had watched it move so many times before. I had never heard of agonal breathing.
I said my husband’s name. No response. I shouted his name. Nothing. I put my ear on his chest and couldn’t hear his heartbeat or feel him breathing. I picked up his arm and let it go. It dropped like a rock.
Read on and listen to the 911 call: https://onlinejcf.com/article/S1071-9164(21)00403-6/fulltext
Dr. Glaucomflecken & Lady Glaucomflecken are to speak at the Citizen CPR Foundation Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit – learn more and register at www.CitizenCPRSummit.org
Introducing the ERC Cardiac Arrest Dashboard: Discover the Power of EuReCa Epidemiology
EuReCa projects delve into patient data for insights on characteristics, treatments, and outcomes among collaborators. Now, the ERC is taking this further by adding an annual report on cardiac arrest epidemiology, displayed on a user-friendly map/dashboard.
The project builds on the EuReCa collaboration, drawing more participation. Registries will share summary data on essential variables. Variables include key metrics like number of cardiac arrest cases, resuscitation attempts, bystander CPR, AED use, Return of Spontaneous Circulation, and survival rates. In this first version of the map, you can find data from countries that participated in the EuReCa2 study.
Learn more: https://cpr-dashboard.erc.edu/
Milwaukee County Emergency Management launches publically accessible cardiac arrest dashboard
The cardiac arrest dashboard reports the number of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests that occur from a medical nature in Milwaukee County each year. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating due to a lethal heart rhythm. Without immediate treatment, cardiac arrest can lead to death within minutes. Bystanders who witness a cardiac arrest or find a person who has arrested can increase the chances of survival by immediately calling 911, beginning CPR, and applying an AED, if one is available. Knowing how to respond to an emergency, such as cardiac arrest, can save a life.
See the dashboard: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Office-of-Emergency-Management/EMS/Data-Analytics/Cardiac-Arrest
People in redlined neighborhoods may be less likely to receive bystander CPR
People who live in neighborhoods that were subjected to the historical practice of “redlining” may be less likely to receive lifesaving care from a bystander during a cardiac arrest than people in other neighborhoods, new research suggests.
The greater the amount of redlining, the lower the likelihood of receiving bystander CPR, the study showed. The findings will be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference in Philadelphia. They are considered preliminary until full results are published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Read more: https://afro.com/people-in-redlined-neighborhoods-may-be-less-likely-to-receive-bystander-cpr/
Detroit’s push for more defibrillators, AED registry and increased citizen action as priorities in pursuing improved outcomes
As long as I’ve worked in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford in Detroit (more than 30 years, with a 10-year break), survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has been poor. There are lots of reasons for that, from the EMS system organization decades ago, to disparities in health care. But one thing that always stood out was the lack of people getting bystander CPR before EMS arrival. Decades ago, it was basically unheard of, now the needle is moving, and more people know what to do, are willing to do it, and are instructed to do it by EMS dispatchers.
Read more and watch the interview with Dr. Robert Dunn, Medical Director for Detroit EMS: https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2023/11/09/detroits-life-saving-push-for-more-defibrillators/
Fitness center compliance: CT law requires more than just an AED at your gym
A national expert says not only do gyms need to have the potentially life-saving device on the premises, but they also need to be trained in CPR and should have a plan of action in case of an emergency, too.
In a medical emergency, every minute matters.
Becca Stearns said seconds could mean the difference between life and death if someone is experiencing cardiac arrest.
“You can’t wait for an ambulance; it’s not going to get there soon enough. Even the fastest ambulance is not going to make it in time,” Stearns said.
She’s the chief operating officer of the Korey Stringer Institute within the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut.
“You have about one to three minutes to act to get that AED placed on the person and get that shock delivered,” she said.
It’s law in Connecticut for fitness centers to have AEDs, automated external defibrillators. But an NBC CT Responds investigation this summer revealed not all gyms were following the law, risking lives.
Collocated Lifesaving Equipment Made Available 24/7 in Maryland Community
EASTON, MD – An automatic external defibrillator and other medical life-saving equipment were installed in downtown Easton.
Installed on Washington St. next to Doc’s Downtown Grill, the project is Easton’s new and first 24-hour and publicly accessible AED.
Partners within this program are the Bluepoint Hospitality Group, Talbot Emergency Services, and the Talbot Paramedic Foundation. Bluepoint Hospitality says they came up with the idea to put it downtown after they were taking CPR classes.
Source with video: https://www.wboc.com/news/eastons-new-and-first-24-hour-aed/article_8bd21f2e-7f58-11ee-851e-a7d3e47dde73.html
Carmichael Middle School Joins in HEARTSafe Community Efforts
RICHLAND, Wash.-Carmichael Middle School is now a Richland heart safe campus.
Carmichael staff trained in hands-only CPR and AED use in August with Josh Smith, Fire Captain for Richland Fire and Emergency Services, and his Heart Safe team.
According to a Richland School District press release, nurses, teachers and Administrators at Carmichael created an Emergency Response Plan to address the needs of the middle school.
“The safety and well-being of our students and staff are one of the district’s top priorities,” says Assistant Director of Human Resources Kellie Lacey.
Carmichael held a drill on Oct. 25 to complete its heart safe certification, meaning staff are now fully prepared to recognize and respond to any cardiac arrest emergency.
Top 10 steps to improve in-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes and care identified- A scientific statement on behalf of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 10, 2023 — Worldwide, cardiac arrest among hospitalized people of all ages is a high-risk event associated with significant disease and death. To address a growing need to improve the quality standards for responding to an in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) has identified 10 steps that can lead to better patient outcomes and survival. These steps can be embedded in a system of care that includes plans and preparations for IHCA; prevention of IHCA when avoidable; implementation of effective resuscitation education and training; the delivery of high-quality guidelines-based resuscitation care; and ongoing evaluation and adjustments for improvements within a culture of person-centered care. This research will be presented in a plenary session at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium 2023.