From the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation...

Facts and Figures about SCA

• The precise incidence of SCA is unknown because available epidemiological databases do not record deaths due to sudden cardiac arrests. Therefore estimates are based on surrogate data. Efforts are underway to establish a better way to capture accurate data.

• Each year in the U.S., 400,000 to 460,000 people die of unexpected sudden cardiac death in an emergency department or before reaching a hospital. (Circulation 2001;104:2158-63)

• The age-adjusted sudden cardiac death rate is higher among men than women. (MMWR Feb 15, 2002 51(06):123-6).

• Blacks have the highest age-adjusted rate of sudden cardiac death, followed by whites. (MMWR Feb 15, 2002 51(06):123-6).

• States with a high proportion of sudden cardiac deaths, in descending order, include: Wisconsin, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Montana and Vermont. Hawaii has the lowest age-adjusted sudden cardiac death rate; Mississippi has the highest. (MMWR Feb 15, 2002 51(06):123-6).

• About two-thirds of unexpected cardiac deaths occur without prior indication of heart disease. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2004;44:1268-3008-13)

• About 60 percent of unexpected cardiac deaths are treated by emergency medical services (EMS). (JAMA 2002;288:3008-13)

• EMS treats about 100,000 to 250,000 cardiac arrests in the U.S. annually. (JAMA 2002;288:3008-13; Ann Emerg Med 1999;34:517-25)

• Of the cardiac arrests treated by EMS, 20 to 38 percent are found in ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) (21,000 to 91,000 cases), rhythms that can be treated with defibrillators. (Ann Emerg Med 1999;34:517-25)

• The incidence of VF is decreasing over time. (Ann Emerg Med 1999;34:517-25, Resuscitation 2004:63(1):17-24; Resuscitation 2005;67(1):51-4)

• Fifty-seven percent of adults in the U.S. say they have undergone training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), most often due to work or school requirements. Most say they would be willing to use CPR to help a stranger. Most say they would be willing to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). Eleven percent say they have used CPR in an actual emergency. (Resuscitation 2000)

• The incidence of lay responder defibrillation was 2.05 percent in 2002. (American Heart Association)

• The incidence of SCA in children is unknown. Estimates vary widely. Research among high school athletes suggests the incidence ranges from 0.28 to 1.0 death per 100,000 high school athletes nationwide (J Am Coll Cardiol 1998:32:1881-4).

• The average survival SCA survival rate is 6-7%. (Prehosp Emerg Care 1997; 1(1):45-57.)

Brothers Perform CPR, Save Golfer

Gus Franzetta Has Heart Attack On Last Hole At Uniontown Golf Course

Joseph Heckel, Web Producer

UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- Golfer Guz Franzetta said he loves walking the fairways while playing a round or two of golf at local courses, and thanks to two quick-thinking brothers, he'll be able to keep swinging.

Franzetta told Channel 4 Action News' Andrew Stockey that he suffered a heart attack while on the final hole at Duck Hollow Golf Club in Uniontown on Aug. 15.

"I don't remember swinging a club at all. I don't remember playing a single hole," said Franzetta, of Pittsburgh.

But business associate and friend Jim Sampson said he witnessed it all.

"I heard Gus drop, and as I turned to help, I looked at his face and I said, 'Boys, we need to help him,'" said Sampson.

Fortunately for Franzetta, Sampson's sons Eric and Ben both knew CPR.

"We just began working. My brother cleared the airways," said Eric Sampson.

But it appeared Franzetta was almost beyond the point of saving.

"My brother checked his pulse. He had no pulse," said Eric Sampson.

Ben Sampson admitted that he was scared, but maintained his focus.

"The adrenaline and just reaction … I had to keep going. I wasn't going to let him go," said Ben Sampson.

The brothers were able to revive Franzetta before paramedics arrived.

"If there could be a positive way to look at it, the right people were in the right place at the right time. My brother and I know CPR. There was a nurse nearby and retired paramedics," said Ben Sampson.

"I played this past Saturday with other friends of mine and they thanked God it wasn't them that I was playing with when I went down because they probably not have known what to do," said Franzetta.

Drowning Facts

By Jordan Bonomo, MD, UC Health10:50 AM Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there were 3,443 unintentional drownings in the United States in 2007, an average of 10 deaths per day.

More than one in five drowning victims are children 14 and younger.

Most drownings, especially involving children, are quick and quiet. Generally, there’s no splashing or flailing. People nearby may never notice that something is wrong.

But even if someone in danger is pulled from the water and survives, there can be serious side effects from what we call “near-drownings.”

Complicated near-drownings involve resuscitation efforts at the scene. Survival typically depends on the length of immersion, the temperature of the water and the person’s overall health. It also depends on the effectiveness of bystander CPR.

Anyone who needs resuscitation after a near-drowning should receive emergency medical care. It takes a while to clear water from the lungs and re-establish adequate circulation and should be done under medical supervision.

Use these tips to keep you and your loved ones safe:

• Make sure to stay within “touch-supervision,” or an arm’s length away, from children around any kind of water: pools, bathtubs, even a bucket of water or a toilet.

• Install a four-sided fence at least four feet high around a home pool. The fence should have a self-latching gate and a lock where small children can’t reach.

• Keep a life preserver by the pool and make sure there’s a telephone close by.

• Never leave a toy in or around the pool.

• Swimming lessons are recommended for children 1-4 years old, but are not a guarantee of safety. Neither are inflatable swimming aids, or “floaties,” which can give children a false sense of security.

• Finally, all caregivers should learn CPR.

Jordan Bonomo, MD, is an expert in emergency medicine, neurosurgery and neurocritical care. He is a member of the UC department of emergency medicine, whose physicians staff the emergency room at West Chester Medical Center.

Cough CPR could kill you.

I’d like to find out who is behind this sort of thing.

There is a dangerous letter making the rounds on the internet. It exists in several forms. It starts by describing typical male heart attack symptoms. It then tells you how to do CPR on yourself by coughing. You don’t do CPR on a heart attack victim – and the last thing a heart attack victim needs is vigorous exercise while his or her oxygen-starved heart muscle is dying. It claims that it was published in some medical school's journal - originally Journal of the University of Rochester Medical School. (This school has publicly denied ever publishing any such article.)

Snopes also covers this: http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/coughcpr.asp

Here’s a pseudo power-point version: (with my comments in blue.)

How to improve outcomes

Dr. Bobrow has been a consistent champion of solving the needless death from SCA movement.

Here is a video worth watching.

Bob

Help us build the program!

SLICC is applying to the Pepsi Refresh Everything project for a grant of $250,000 to be used to expand the network of Neighborhood CPR Training Centers in Chatham County and to fund the deployment of 75 public access defibrillators. (AED's)

We will be issuing voting instructions in late September, so if you are willing to help us complete this demonstration project and help us roll this program throughout the U.S.A., please send an email message to BobT@slicc.org with "vote" in the subject line.

Many thanks. It's important.

Bob

Full Circle

Laura Geraghty of North Attleboro received the Heroes Among Us award during Game 5 of the NBA finals at Boston's TD Garden in June. She is surrounded by Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce, left, Brian Taylor, director of compliance and internal audit for the Massachusetts State Lottery and Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher.

NORTH ATTLEBORO — A local woman who died for 57 minutes before she was revived by CPR and a defibrillator and later used her own CPR skills to revive a man who suffered a heart attack has been honored as a hero at a Boston Celtics game.

Laura Geraghty received the “Heroes Among Us” award, which is given by the Boston Celtics and Massachusetts State lottery to people who have made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the community through their commitment and humanitarian spirit.

She received the award during Game 5 of the NBA finals in June.

“What an honor it was,” Geraghty said. “I got to go down to center court and 18,000 people applauded me, including Bill Belichick and Matt Damon.”

In April 2009, Geraghty suffered cardiac arrest, and her heart stopped beating for 57 minutes. Geraghty was a school bus driver, and had just arrived at Newton South High School with a student in a wheelchair and a teacher’s aide from Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

She was revived through the efforts of multiple bystanders who used CPR and 21 shocks from a defibrillator.

“I survived because I had immediate and effective CPR,” she said.

Geraghty was inspired by the experience to learn CPR, which she used in February to revive a man who had a heart attack while shopping at Walmart.

Since then, Geraghty has been a strong advocate for CPR skills.

“It’s no longer about me. My mission has truly been nothing but teaching the importance of having CPR skills,” she said.

Geraghty was recently interviewed for a documentary called “I Survived: Beyond and Back,” which will air on A&E in October.

Geraghty said her name was sent in by the American Heart Association.

AMY DeMELIA covers North Attleboro for The Sun Chronicle. She can be reached at 508-236-0334 or at ademelia@thesunchronicle.com.