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Emergency Cardiac Care News Digest - November 22, 2024
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.
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.
-Mark Van Doren
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates remain below pre-pandemic levels
CHICAGO — U.S. out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates have improved since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, researchers reported.
“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic marked an abrupt change in health care delivery systems and imposed a substantial stress on frontline providers. Initial studies during the early phases of the pandemic showed that survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest had substantially worsened and largely eroded the survival gains that we had experienced during the past decade,” Eric Hall, MD, a cardiology fellow at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who presented the findings at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, told Healio.
Resuscitation Attempt and Outcomes in Patients With Asystole Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Little is known about the epidemiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in patients with asystole in countries where prehospital resuscitation is not withheld or terminated.
This cohort study analyzed data from a nationwide prospective OHCA registry in Japan. OHCA occurred from June 1, 2014, to December 31, 2020. Adults with an initial rhythm of asystole and OHCA were included in the analysis, which was conducted between July 29, 2022, and August 24, 2024.
Of 60,349 patients with OHCA, 35,843 (59.4%) presented with asystole (median age, 77 [IQR, 64-85] years; 20 573 [57.4%] men). Among these, 33 674 patients (93.9%) underwent ALS procedures, with 67 (0.2%) achieving a favorable neurological outcome at 30 days. No significant trends in the outcomes were noted, except for a decline in return of spontaneous circulation (424 of 1848 [22.9%] to 1178 of 5892 [20.0%]; P = .003). Neither AAM (odds ratio [OR], 1.27 [95% CI, 0.76-2.12]; P = .36) nor intravenous epinephrine administration (OR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.24-1.13]; P = .10) was associated with a favorable neurological outcome at 30 days, although both were associated with survival at 30 days (ORs, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.21-1.74] and 1.81 [95% CI, 1.44-2.27], respectively; P < .001 for both).
Source: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2826284
ENCORE: If 911 operator gives instructions, bystanders more readily perform CPR
In a study involving nearly 2,400 emergency calls for cardiac arrest in North Carolina, rates for bystander CPR rose dramatically when the 911 operator helped guide the caller.
Without such assistance CPR was performed just 11% of the time for male victims and 9% for female victims, but those rates climbed to 40% and 44%, respectively, when 911 callers got help from operators.
“Prompt delivery of CPR doubles a patient’s chance of survival from out of hospital cardiac arrest,” said study lead author Audrey Blewer, assistant professor of family medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C.
Source: https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/11/11/cpr-911-operator-study/7811731337133/
Total Response Partners With Laerdal to Offer Telecommunicator CPR Course as Part of EMD Certification
Response, formerly PowerPhone, a leading provider of emergency call handling and dispatch solutions, is excited to announce a new partnership with Laerdal, integrating its Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR) course into Total Response’s Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification. EMD is a vital part of the Total Response 911 protocol system, ensuring dispatchers are best prepared to manage medical emergencies. The T-CPR course, co-developed by the American Heart Association, Laerdal Medical and the Resuscitation Academy, meets or exceeds the highest national and international resuscitation standards, including those set by the American Heart Association (AHA).
Announcement link: https://www.newswire.com/news/total-response-partners-with-laerdal-to-offer-telecommunicator-cpr-22465633
ENCORE: Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR)
One critical intervention strongly associated with survival is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) started by a bystander. When CPR begins prior to the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, the person in cardiac arrest has a two to three-fold higher likelihood of survival. An effective way to ensure that CPR is provided quickly is for the emergency telecommunicators to provide instant instructions with telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR). T-CPR allows bystander CPR to begin – it works by keeping the brain and heart alive until EMS arrives to provide defibrillation and other vital interventions. T-CPR can assist the untrained caller as well as remind the CPR trained caller how to provide high-quality CPR.
Learn more: https://cpr.heart.org/en/resuscitation-science/telecommunicator-cpr
New Trial Result Pushes Past Antiarrhythmic Therapy After MI
Upfront catheter ablation is a better first-line strategy for patients who develop ventricular tachycardia (VT) after a myocardial infarction (MI) than waiting until antiarrhythmic drugs fail, a multicenter randomized trial shows.
At the end of follow up in the VANISH2 trial, upfront catheter ablation reduced the hazard ratio for a primary composite event outcome that included death by any cause, VT storm, shock from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and recurrent VT, according to John Lewis Sapp, Jr, MD, an electrophysiologist and professor of medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
This study might upend typical practice. Drug therapy is currently the most common upfront approach and is guideline-recommended for post-MI VT; catheter ablation is typically reserved for second line, he explained.
Glasgow man hails ‘miraculous’ defibrillator which saved his life after cardiac arrest
A Glasgow man who went into cardiac arrest while out for a jog has hailed the “miraculous” defibrillator which saved his life – just weeks after saving another persons.
Stephen Lappin was out for a run at Glasgow Green, in April this year, when he collapsed. A quick-thinking member of the public called 999 and was directed to the nearest defibrillator. Now, the 59-year-old says he owes his life to the device.
Malcolm, from Linlithgow, added: “I was running when I started to feel unwell and shortly after that I blacked out. Another runner phoned 999 and was directed to the defibrillator, which was about 200 meters away at the boathouse. I’m just incredibly fortunate that it happened when it did, where it did.
“One of the main reasons that I’m still alive today is that the passersby who witnessed my collapse were directed to the nearest defibrillator by the emergency services. This was only possible because the defibrillator had been registered on The Circuit.”
CPR Awareness: Man thrilled his Langley neighbour broke his ribs
The Ulle household and the Vance household have been neighbours for about 15 years, so when Brian Ulle broke Joey Vance’s ribs, it only brought the two families closer, and earned Brian the Vital Link Award for saving Joey’s life.
Joey Vance suffered a heart attack at bedtime on Feb. 8, 2023. Colleen Vance, his wife, was beside him and noticed odd breathing.
She and their adult son, Josh, alternated doing CPR, and reached out to their neighbour, Brian.
“When the phone rang, I didn’t recognize the number, and I get lots of spam calls on my phone, so I just hung it up,” Brian recalled.
It rang again right away so he answered, knowing that’s not how spammers operate. It was Josh calling about his dad.
“He can’t breathe,” Brian was told.
The off-duty Langley Township firefighter told Josh to call for paramedics, which would also get Surrey fire first responders rolling, and then he ran from his Fernridge home about 500 metres to the Vance home – located just across the Surrey border at 196 Street.
Staying alive: Couple committed to raising awareness for AEDs
Following an incident of sudden cardiac arrest, the family has been committed to running in the annual Bolt for the Heart race to raise awareness about the importance of having AEDs nearby. The family participates in Bolt for the Heart each year on Thanksgiving Day, including this year’s 5K run/walk set for Nov. 28 in Carmel.
In addition to raising awareness of AEDs, Bolt for the Heart distributes lifesaving devices to law enforcement officers. Kristin said her husband was one of the first Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers to get an AED from Bolt for the Heart.
Read all about it: https://youarecurrent.com/2024/11/17/staying-alive-couple-committed-to-raising-awareness-for-aeds/
Couple filled with gratitude after teachers save their son’s life
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An 11-year-old Jefferson County Public Schools student spent Friday recovering in the hospital after his teachers saved his life.
Louisville couple Christina and Anthony Mattingly are praising staff at Kammerer Middle School after saving their son’s life
Noah Mattingly, 11, spent Friday recovering in the hospital after losing consciousness Tuesday afternoon
Teachers and staff used an automated external defibrillator to revive him before he was transported to Norton Children’s
JCPS supplied AEDs to every school building last school year
“If it hadn’t happened at school, there’s no telling what would have happened,” said Christina Mattingly, mother of Noah Mattingly. “We could have lost him that day.”
Noah, who attends Kammerer Middle School, told teachers Tuesday afternoon that he was feeling dizzy. He then lost consciousness and stopped breathing.
“They said if they had not initiated that shock to stop what was going on in there, he wouldn’t have recovered it,” said Anthony Mattingly, Noah’s father.
Full story: https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2024/11/17/jcps-staff-and-teachers-save-an-11-year-old-s-life
Union-required CPR training saves man’s life
DETROIT (FOX 2) – Micah Parker woke up one September morning with his chest on fire and a worried feeling that something was wrong.
He would have called off work, but he figured he would push through and figure out what was wrong later. So, on Sept. 13, the journeyman mason trudged off to another shift to end the week.
He grabbed a pack of TUMS and an energy drink ahead of time and got to work.
As the union members worked a job at Mann Elementary, Parker collapsed.
“The CPR just came to mind,” said Alan Mamere, another mason.
Watch the video story here: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/union-required-cpr-training-saves-members-life-detroit-job-site
AED pumps up visitor safety at Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve
The Couchiching Conservancy is pleased to announce the installation of an automated external defibrillator (AED) at Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve, enhancing safety for the thousands of visitors who enjoy the trails annually.
This vital addition was made possible through a generous grant from the Community Foundation of Orillia and Area, underscoring our commitment to the well-being of our community.
Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve, spanning 52 acres near Orillia, Ont., is a cherished natural oasis renowned for its biodiversity and scenic trails. It serves as a sanctuary for diverse species and a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, attracting over 7,000 visitors each year. The installation of the AED and its accessible external cabinet further ensures that visitors can explore and enjoy the reserve with enhanced peace of mind.
Paramedic joins BBC Radio 4 comedy show panel to make the serious case for defibrillators
A paramedic at London Ambulance Service will feature in the hit BBC podcast Best Medicine to promote defibrillators – devices which can help restart someone’s heart if it stops beating.
Paramedic Thomas Martin joined a panel of professors and comedians to convince the host – comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean – that the life-saving defib is the best medicine.
He explained how the machine delivers an electric shock to the heart through pads applied to a person’s body when they are in cardiac arrest and can help the heart start beating in a normal rhythm again.
On the light-hearted show, he debated with experts arguing for a vaccine to treat urinary tract infections and origami surgical capsules as well as a comedian advocating denial as the best medicine.
Learn more here: https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/2024/11/19/paramedic-joins-bbc-radio-4-comedy-show-panel-to-make-the-serious-case-for-defibrillators/
Nearly 1,000 students learned CPR in one day
The Sweetwater Union High School District launched a comprehensive training initiative to train more than 20,000 students in hands-only CPR, ensuring they are prepared to respond effectively in emergency situations. Training is conducted by qualified instructors and reflects SUHSD’s commitment to student safety and emergency preparedness.
During Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month, Sweetwater Union High School District trained about 900 ninth and tenth graders in hands-only CPR on Oct. 30. More than 250,000 San Diegans have been trained in hands-only CPR as part of the County and UC San Diego’s Revive & Survive initiative to save lives.
The UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and the County of San Diego Emergency Medical Services convened a coalition of leaders to save lives by training one million San Diegans across the region in hands-only CPR.
Full story: https://www.thestarnews.com/nearly-1000-students-learned-cpr-in-one-day/
‘We’ve worked really hard’: Fennville Schools adds yet another way to save lives on campus
FENNVILLE — A new tool at Fennville Public Schools is continuing the district’s commitment to heart safety for students and the community.
The district recently installed its first outdoor AED on campus. An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is used in cases of sudden cardiac arrest to deliver an electric shock to help re-establish an effective rhythm.
Fennville has AEDs located in each of its buildings, but those may not be accessible to students or community members participating in outdoor activities outside of school hours. Now, with the outdoor AED in place, anyone on campus can access the potentially life-saving tool if needed.
Continue reading: https://www.yahoo.com/news/weve-worked-really-hard-fennville-090504107.html
Attleboro installing AEDs donated by nonprofit
ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — The Attleboro Fire Department recently received a generous and potentially life-saving donation.
Sisters At Heart gifted the fire department with eight automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The fire department is in the process of mounting the donated AEDs in public spaces across the city.
So far, AEDs have been successfully installed at Hayward Field, Ponson Hewitt Field and Dodgeville Field. The fire department said AEDs will also be placed at Horton Field, Finberg Field, Highland Park, Capron Park and Lees Pond.
2024 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations: Summary From the Basic Life Support; Advanced Life Support; Pediatric Life Support; Neonatal Life Support; Education, Implementation, and Teams; and First Aid Task Forces
This is the eighth annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations; a more comprehensive review was done in 2020. This latest summary addresses the most recent published resuscitation evidence reviewed by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task force science experts. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the quality of the evidence, using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence-to-Decision Framework Highlights sections. In addition, the task forces list priority knowledge gaps for further research.
Full access: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001288
2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross Guidelines for First Aid
Codeveloped by the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, these guidelines represent the first comprehensive update of first aid treatment recommendations since 2010. Incorporating the results of structured evidence reviews from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, these guidelines cover first aid treatment for critical and common medical, traumatic, environmental, and toxicological conditions. This update emphasizes the continuous evolution of evidence evaluation and the necessity of adapting educational strategies to local needs and diverse community demographics. Existing guidelines remain relevant unless specifically updated in this publication. Key topics that are new, are substantially revised, or have significant new literature include opioid overdose, bleeding control, open chest wounds, spinal motion restriction, hypothermia, frostbite, presyncope, anaphylaxis, snakebite, oxygen administration, and the use of pulse oximetry in first aid, with the inclusion of pediatric-specific guidance as warranted.
Full access: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001281
Celebrating recovery: Football player hosts CPR event
HOLLIDAYSBURG — Almost two months to the day that forever altered the trajectory of his life, the Hollidaysburg community came out in a show of support for Spencer Davis and his newly formed CPR support foundation.
Both the main and auxiliary gyms at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High were packed for the Anyone Can Help Awareness Fair on Thursday night.
The event, which was hosted by ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions, was a celebration of the individuals whose quick thinking saved Davis’ life when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a football practice at C.W. Longer Elementary on Sept. 18 and a call to action — that CPR classes can save lives.
Jen Davis, Spencer’s mother, said that it has been a “crazy” two months since she witnessed her son lying motionless on the field.
“It’s hard to believe that two months ago we didn’t know what Spencer’s outcome would be, and here we are. He was diagnosed with commotio cordis, he is going to make a full recovery,” Jen Davis said. “We’re here to raise awareness and make changes.”
Law enforcement vehicles all over northern Kentucky get lifesaving AEDs
Members of Project Heart ReStart delivered 168 AEDs to 38 law enforcement agencies Thursday across six northern Kentucky counties at the Boone County Sheriff’s Office
The program started at the Christ Hospital Health Network and has expanded into northern Kentucky to place the mobile, easy-to-use devices in police vehicles.
Once complete, Project Heart ReStart will have purchased almost 400 AEDs for agencies across Hamilton County and northern Kentucky.
Full story here: https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2024/11/14/aeds-delivered-to-law-enforcement
ENCORE: Bystander defibrillations have lasting positive effects
Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics are emphasising the importance of early intervention for cardiac arrest cases, following a study that found a defibrillator shock from a bystander can vastly improve survivors’ quality of life 12 months on.
The data was released as part of AV’s month-long Shocktober campaign, which highlights the life-saving importance of learning CPR and knowing how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The Victorian study interviewed 1520 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients who had a shockable heart rhythm and survived 12 months after cardiac arrest.
Of the participants, about 72 per cent were first shocked by paramedics, about 18 per cent were shocked by first responders and about 10 per cent by bystanders.
Learn about their findings: https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/surfcoasttimes/living/bystander-defibrillations-have-lasting-positive-effects/
Compress and Shock CPR/AED Lessons and AED for Hispanic Community
When it comes to administering CPR, most people could tell you it’s as simple as pushing on someone’s chest to the beat of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin Alive.” But in an emergency, Carilion’s Dr. Jack Perkins said not many people have the courage to help.
“People don’t understand what their role is in cardiac arrest, so our bystander engagement of CPR is not what it needs to be,” said Dr. Perkins. “Less than one in 20 cardiac arrests outside of the hospital have a defibrillator used. That’s really unfortunate.”
That’s why he created the Compress and Shock Foundation – An educational organization that brings free CPR and AED lessons to communities that tend to have barriers to that kind of education.
“Whether that is communities of color or non-English language, rural communities, or poor healthcare literacy or access to healthcare education, those are the communities we want to go engage,” explained Perkins.
Sunday evening, Compress and Shock and HCA Healthcare teamed up to bring that education to Roanoke’s Latino community through a lesson with CASA Latina.
Full story with video: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/11/18/lewisgale-compress-shock-foundation-host-cpraed-lesson-local-latino-community/
VIDEO PICK: Rocket Science
It doesn’t take Rocket Science to perform CPR. Use Hands-Only CPR!
SPOTLIGHT: Bolt for the Heart
BOLT is a non-profit organization serving Indiana. Bolt For The Heart was established in 2010 by Pierre Twer and Friends and is an extension of Heart Reach Michiana which was founded by Dr. Walt Halloran and friends in 2004. Bolt For The Heart was established to keep monies raised locally to stay locally and impact the community close to home.
Learn more: https://boltfortheheart.com/
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
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