First, why did the tent-mates have to "notify the NPS Mountaineering Patrol" to get CPR going?
Second, where was the AED?
If you read the last two paragraphs in the article, you will see "According to Reuters new service, it was the fifth climber death this season on McKinley, North America's tallest peak, and the eighth climber death this season in Denali National Park."
Doesn't that take you a bit by surprise?
Bob
____________________________
Former Post Falls man dies on Mount McKinley
Brian Young succumbs after reaching peak
Posted: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 12:00 am
By BILL BULEY/Staff writer
A Post Falls High School graduate who died after climbing Mount McKinley on Friday was praised as an adventurer and someone who always had a kind word for others.
Brian Young, 52, died of an apparent heart attack Friday morning after descending from the summit of Mount McKinley, according to the National Park Service.
The Kodiak, Alaska, man was pronounced dead Friday at the mountain's high camp at the 17,200-foot level.
Young had just completed an arduous 20-hour summit day to the peak's 20,320-foot summit and back and was back in camp to sleep when he suddenly stopped breathing, the Park Service said.
The tent mates immediately notified the NPS mountaineering patrol stationed at high camp who began CPR. Young was pronounced deceased at 11 a.m. by an NPS volunteer physician assistant at high camp.
Tammie Peacock of Hayden graduated with Young from Post Falls High School in 1977.
She recalled he was always upbeat, kind and never in a bad mood.
"I don't recall him ever having a bad word for anyone," she said Monday.
Peacock said people who knew Young were surprised at his death and considered it a great loss. Young was an athlete in high school, ran track, and stayed in good shape.
"It's hard to believe," she said.
Dave Walker of Coeur d'Alene wrote on Facebook that his wife was a PFHS class of '77 graduate.
"He was an adventurer and summiting Denali on the last day of his life is better than how a lot of people go," Walker wrote. "You'll be remembered Brian."
Young's body will be recovered from high camp when weather permits, a release said.
According to Reuters new service, it was the fifth climber death this season on McKinley, North America's tallest peak, and the eighth climber death this season in Denali National Park.
The McKinley climbing season generally runs from late April until early July. About 1,200 to 1,300 people climb the mountain each year.
When you see a cardiac arrest, your brain fights you - "No, this isn't really happening" - and the circumstances fight you - "Dang! in CPR class the manikin didn't weigh very much and wasn't sitting in a deep chair. This blog deals with practical details and presents reports of "saves." Let me have your questions and comments - they will steer the course of this blog. This blog is brought to you by the volunteers at www.slicc.org
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
AND WHERE WAS THE AED?
When I am in a school, I ask about AED's - how many they have, where they are, whether or not they are public access units, and whether the AED's are taken to the scene of all sports competitions AND PRACTICES.
Too often, the units are locked in the nurses' offices - even when the nurse is not there. It's increasingly common for me to learn that the AED goes with the sports teams to games, but I have yet to encounter a school where there is an AED at athletic practice sessions.
I'll check with the author of the article below to see if she'll follow up on this one.
Bob
_______________________
High school athlete dies
Caroline student who died at AAU basketball practice remembered by classmates, teachers.
BY PORTSIA SMITH
Date published: 6/14/2011
Caroline High School student David Jones died doing what he loved to do--playing basketball.
Jones, who recently completed his sophomore year, collapsed in the high school gym Sunday afternoon soon after starting practice for his AAU basketball team.
A cause of death has not been determined pending an autopsy.
Those who knew Jones said basketball was his passion.
"He was in love with basketball," said Antoine Johnson, who was his coach for basketball and track, and his geometry teacher. "In class, even in track, all he talked about was basketball. And when he walked into a room, everybody knew he was there. He was just the type of person everyone wanted to be around."
Jones, known by his classmates as Brooklyn, had moved to Caroline County about seven months ago from New York. He lived with his grandparents in Bowling Green.
He played junior varsity basketball and ran track for Caroline High in the few months that he attended.
Caroline Principal Harper Donahoe said Jones was a well-liked, popular student at school. He said he had a sports physical on file that made him eligible to play high school sports, and there was no indication that he had any health problems.
"It's a tragic thing. We don't know what happened," he said. "The coaches noticed right away that he was nonresponsive and began CPR and called 911."
Carroll Moore, who runs the AAU team called the Caroline County Ballers, said Jones had joined the team less than two weeks ago.
His wife, Crystal Smith-Moore, said practice for the boys team had started about 5 p.m. After about 15 or 20 minutes, she said the boys were given a water break.
"They told them to take a 15-minute water break, and he just collapsed," Smith-Moore said. "All of the team and parents witnessed everything. The team is devastated. It's just a horrible experience and unfortunate for everyone."
Members of the track team last night said Jones always had a smile on his face and said the most hilarious things at the oddest times.
"It's a tough loss because we played basketball and ran track together," said rising junior Bevontae Morris. "It's hard to lose somebody that you just became so close with."
Track coach Sanberry Harvey remembered Jones as a good kid who tried to talk himself out of any situation.
"The only reason he was doing track was so that he could stay in shape for basketball," Harvey said. "He'd try to shortcut [track] if he could, but he did what he had to do after I got on him. I'm really going to miss him."
Funeral arrangements are expected to be held in New York, but a vigil may be held locally, Donahoe said. Jones' parents were en route to Caroline yesterday.
This is the second straight year for tragedy at the end of the Caroline High academic year.
Exactly a year and one day earlier, Caroline High School student Chelsea Herring was killed in a car accident in Spotsylvania County.
Portsia Smith: 540/374-5419
Email: psmith@fredericksburg.com
Too often, the units are locked in the nurses' offices - even when the nurse is not there. It's increasingly common for me to learn that the AED goes with the sports teams to games, but I have yet to encounter a school where there is an AED at athletic practice sessions.
I'll check with the author of the article below to see if she'll follow up on this one.
Bob
_______________________
High school athlete dies
Caroline student who died at AAU basketball practice remembered by classmates, teachers.
BY PORTSIA SMITH
Date published: 6/14/2011
Caroline High School student David Jones died doing what he loved to do--playing basketball.
Jones, who recently completed his sophomore year, collapsed in the high school gym Sunday afternoon soon after starting practice for his AAU basketball team.
A cause of death has not been determined pending an autopsy.
Those who knew Jones said basketball was his passion.
"He was in love with basketball," said Antoine Johnson, who was his coach for basketball and track, and his geometry teacher. "In class, even in track, all he talked about was basketball. And when he walked into a room, everybody knew he was there. He was just the type of person everyone wanted to be around."
Jones, known by his classmates as Brooklyn, had moved to Caroline County about seven months ago from New York. He lived with his grandparents in Bowling Green.
He played junior varsity basketball and ran track for Caroline High in the few months that he attended.
Caroline Principal Harper Donahoe said Jones was a well-liked, popular student at school. He said he had a sports physical on file that made him eligible to play high school sports, and there was no indication that he had any health problems.
"It's a tragic thing. We don't know what happened," he said. "The coaches noticed right away that he was nonresponsive and began CPR and called 911."
Carroll Moore, who runs the AAU team called the Caroline County Ballers, said Jones had joined the team less than two weeks ago.
His wife, Crystal Smith-Moore, said practice for the boys team had started about 5 p.m. After about 15 or 20 minutes, she said the boys were given a water break.
"They told them to take a 15-minute water break, and he just collapsed," Smith-Moore said. "All of the team and parents witnessed everything. The team is devastated. It's just a horrible experience and unfortunate for everyone."
Members of the track team last night said Jones always had a smile on his face and said the most hilarious things at the oddest times.
"It's a tough loss because we played basketball and ran track together," said rising junior Bevontae Morris. "It's hard to lose somebody that you just became so close with."
Track coach Sanberry Harvey remembered Jones as a good kid who tried to talk himself out of any situation.
"The only reason he was doing track was so that he could stay in shape for basketball," Harvey said. "He'd try to shortcut [track] if he could, but he did what he had to do after I got on him. I'm really going to miss him."
Funeral arrangements are expected to be held in New York, but a vigil may be held locally, Donahoe said. Jones' parents were en route to Caroline yesterday.
This is the second straight year for tragedy at the end of the Caroline High academic year.
Exactly a year and one day earlier, Caroline High School student Chelsea Herring was killed in a car accident in Spotsylvania County.
Portsia Smith: 540/374-5419
Email: psmith@fredericksburg.com
Sunday, June 12, 2011
And Dr. Oz weighs in on HCM
Taming a killer: Sudden cardiac arrest in kids
by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen - Jun. 12, 2011 12:00 AM
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/06/12/20110612oz0612-cardiac-arrest-kids.html#ixzz1P3ygZM69
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/06/12/20110612oz0612-cardiac-arrest-kids.html#ixzz1P3yYOAmc
You've seen the shocking news stories of young athletes collapsing and dying of sudden cardiac arrest: the 14-year-old Wisconsin runner, the Michigan high-school basketball whiz who had just sunk the winning shot, the star quarterback at a Texas high school. These no-warning cardiac collapses are the single largest cause of death among young competitive athletes.
The real story is, it doesn't have to be.
A string of positive research combined with news of kids who've survived sudden cardiac arrest means this troubling killer could soon be tamed. Meanwhile, we hope you parents and grandparents out there saw reports about the swift steps that can restart struggling young hearts - like the Minnesota dad who ran onto the soccer field when his 12-year-old son collapsed, started CPR, then used a portable defibrillator to kick-start the heart into beating normally. He saved his son's life.
It's not just an issue for kids who play sports. Although sudden cardiac arrest is five times more common among college athletes than once believed, and just one in 10 survives, what's most often behind SCA is an enlarged heart - specifically, a common inherited defect called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although months of strenuous exercise will make any athlete's heart muscle bigger, that's normal and nothing to worry about - unless the kid also has HCM. The combo can block blood flow from the heart, which puts young athletes at much higher risk than non-athletes with HCM. Add a hard workout or dehydration, and the danger's even greater.
In summer, be alert for dehydration and heat exhaustion. Tell kids to follow the coach's advice and drink plenty of water. Dehydration is risky for anyone with an enlarged heart, because it interferes with the ticker's main pumping area, the left ventricle. Getting parched makes blood-flow problems worse, leading to fainting, shortness of breath or something way more serious.
What can you do?
- Raise $1,500 for your school. That's what it costs to buy and donate an automated external defibrillator. High schools that have an AED and people trained to use it save the lives of 64 percent of people with sudden heart problems.
- Spot trouble before it starts. Heart-screening tests could prevent 90 percent of SCA. Two hot-off-the-presses studies prove it. In one, 964 college athletes got physicals that included echocardiograms and electrocardiograms. They found seven students with serious heart conditions. Another study of 50,665 Chicago-area teens uncovered 1,096 kids with heart irregularities.
The tests aren't cheap. Screening all of America's athletes could top $2 billion a year. If your community offers free or low-cost screenings, take advantage of them!
More importantly, look for risk factors in your kids, and know what to do:
- Know the signals. Some key red flags: Fainting or seizures after physical activity; episodes of chest pain, racing heartbeats or unusual shortness of breath, fatigue or tiredness; dizziness during or after exercise; a family history of heart disease or an unexplained death after physical activity.
- Get some power behind you. About 15 states encourage or require AEDs in schools. A volunteer group of parents who've lost kids to SAC or whose own lives have been saved by a defibrillator are leading the charge. Find out more at parentheartwatch.org.
- Know what to do if a kid collapses. Act fast. If a kid's losing consciousness and gasping for breath, call 911 or get someone else to. Then immediately start CPR; survival odds drop 10 percent for every minute without it. Meanwhile, send someone for a defibrillator.
Don't hesitate.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/06/12/20110612oz0612-cardiac-arrest-kids.html#ixzz1P3yNhGjg
by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen - Jun. 12, 2011 12:00 AM
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/06/12/20110612oz0612-cardiac-arrest-kids.html#ixzz1P3ygZM69
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/06/12/20110612oz0612-cardiac-arrest-kids.html#ixzz1P3yYOAmc
You've seen the shocking news stories of young athletes collapsing and dying of sudden cardiac arrest: the 14-year-old Wisconsin runner, the Michigan high-school basketball whiz who had just sunk the winning shot, the star quarterback at a Texas high school. These no-warning cardiac collapses are the single largest cause of death among young competitive athletes.
The real story is, it doesn't have to be.
A string of positive research combined with news of kids who've survived sudden cardiac arrest means this troubling killer could soon be tamed. Meanwhile, we hope you parents and grandparents out there saw reports about the swift steps that can restart struggling young hearts - like the Minnesota dad who ran onto the soccer field when his 12-year-old son collapsed, started CPR, then used a portable defibrillator to kick-start the heart into beating normally. He saved his son's life.
It's not just an issue for kids who play sports. Although sudden cardiac arrest is five times more common among college athletes than once believed, and just one in 10 survives, what's most often behind SCA is an enlarged heart - specifically, a common inherited defect called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although months of strenuous exercise will make any athlete's heart muscle bigger, that's normal and nothing to worry about - unless the kid also has HCM. The combo can block blood flow from the heart, which puts young athletes at much higher risk than non-athletes with HCM. Add a hard workout or dehydration, and the danger's even greater.
In summer, be alert for dehydration and heat exhaustion. Tell kids to follow the coach's advice and drink plenty of water. Dehydration is risky for anyone with an enlarged heart, because it interferes with the ticker's main pumping area, the left ventricle. Getting parched makes blood-flow problems worse, leading to fainting, shortness of breath or something way more serious.
What can you do?
- Raise $1,500 for your school. That's what it costs to buy and donate an automated external defibrillator. High schools that have an AED and people trained to use it save the lives of 64 percent of people with sudden heart problems.
- Spot trouble before it starts. Heart-screening tests could prevent 90 percent of SCA. Two hot-off-the-presses studies prove it. In one, 964 college athletes got physicals that included echocardiograms and electrocardiograms. They found seven students with serious heart conditions. Another study of 50,665 Chicago-area teens uncovered 1,096 kids with heart irregularities.
The tests aren't cheap. Screening all of America's athletes could top $2 billion a year. If your community offers free or low-cost screenings, take advantage of them!
More importantly, look for risk factors in your kids, and know what to do:
- Know the signals. Some key red flags: Fainting or seizures after physical activity; episodes of chest pain, racing heartbeats or unusual shortness of breath, fatigue or tiredness; dizziness during or after exercise; a family history of heart disease or an unexplained death after physical activity.
- Get some power behind you. About 15 states encourage or require AEDs in schools. A volunteer group of parents who've lost kids to SAC or whose own lives have been saved by a defibrillator are leading the charge. Find out more at parentheartwatch.org.
- Know what to do if a kid collapses. Act fast. If a kid's losing consciousness and gasping for breath, call 911 or get someone else to. Then immediately start CPR; survival odds drop 10 percent for every minute without it. Meanwhile, send someone for a defibrillator.
Don't hesitate.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/06/12/20110612oz0612-cardiac-arrest-kids.html#ixzz1P3yNhGjg
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Hermitage student saved by school staff, AED
Have you noticed that you are seeing this sort of story more and more?
Do you know any family member or friend or acquaintance who is not trained in Bystander CPR and AED use? You do? You might want to get on their case - it's your life they are taking a chance with!
Bob
________________
By LUZ LAZO
Published: June 11, 2011
Kathryn Hardy had just entered Hermitage High School on Tuesday morning when she collapsed. Her heart stopped beating.
She was facedown in the stairway of the school's gymnasium, her book bag still on her back, when physical education teacher Nancy M. Steiner arrived, responding to students' calls for help.
Steiner called for help through her two-way radio. In seconds, nurses Sandra M. Ruder and Catherine T. Brawley were assisting Hardy, who was revived with the help of an automated external defibrillator.
The 19-year-old Henrico County junior, with no history of heart disease, had suffered a cardiac arrest at about 8:40 a.m. as students were heading to their first-period classes.
Friday afternoon — a day after doctors at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital installed a pacemaker on her chest that will help her control an abnormal heart rhythm — Hardy returned to Hermitage to surprise and thank the people she said saved her life.
She was smiling, energetic and looking as healthy as if nothing had happened to her just three days earlier.
"Did you save me? I can't remember who saved me," she told Ruder as she entered the school clinic in surprise.
"I think it's the man upstairs," the nurse responded and hugged her. "I'll tell you one thing. I never ever want to see this happen to you again!"
Hardy's father, Antonio Hardy, said his daughter is alive today thanks to the people at the school who did the right thing, including grabbing an AED and using it properly.
"I don't think there is a word in any language to express how grateful I am," Hardy said. "I am grateful to everybody that was involved in saving her life."
"The students that were involved, the staff that was involved, the police officer that was involved went above and beyond what they were supposed to do," he said.
As Ruder and Brawley arrived in the gym, they thought Hardy had fainted or had suffered a seizure, more common among teenagers, they said. But an application of ammonia didn't help Hardy regain consciousness and her skin turned blue, the nurses said.
"At that point we knew the situation was a little bit deeper than just fainting or maybe even a seizure," Ruder said. "Ms. Brawley and I figured she wasn't breathing. ... We could not feel her pulse whatsoever and we started CPR."
Steiner ran to get an AED that was in the gym while Ruder, Brawley, and senior police officer Glenn "Chip" Holder tried to resuscitate Hardy. They then applied the device and it determined that a shock was needed.
After a second shock, Hardy's pulse resumed and she was breathing. It took approximately 10 minutes from the moment Hardy collapsed to when she was resuscitated, school officials said.
Though AEDs are not required, there is at least one at every Henrico school, district spokesman Mychael Dickerson said. The devices cost roughly $1,000 and lead users through the steps needed so they can be used with little or no training.
At a school where the two nurses stay busy treating sports injuries or minor health problems, as well as keeping an eye on students with more significant health concerns, a student suffering cardiac arrest was unexpected.
"It is uncommon for a child to have cardiac arrest," Ruder said. "Kids do have seizures. We have kids that have diabetes that pass out. ... But this is the biggest thing that has ever happened to all of us."
The closest to something similar was two years ago when a parent suffered heart failure outside the school and died, Principal Omega W. Wilson said Thursday afternoon as she recalled Tuesday's scene at the gym.
So many things could have gone wrong, but everything happened in perfect timing and it was a true team effort, said a teary Wilson who, with Associate Principal Diane R. Saunders, was also at the scene Tuesday.
"They were the ones that brought her back to life," Wilson said of her staff and Holder. "These are my heroes because they are humble and they saved a life. They saved the life of a child."
Do you know any family member or friend or acquaintance who is not trained in Bystander CPR and AED use? You do? You might want to get on their case - it's your life they are taking a chance with!
Bob
________________
By LUZ LAZO
Published: June 11, 2011
Kathryn Hardy had just entered Hermitage High School on Tuesday morning when she collapsed. Her heart stopped beating.
She was facedown in the stairway of the school's gymnasium, her book bag still on her back, when physical education teacher Nancy M. Steiner arrived, responding to students' calls for help.
Steiner called for help through her two-way radio. In seconds, nurses Sandra M. Ruder and Catherine T. Brawley were assisting Hardy, who was revived with the help of an automated external defibrillator.
The 19-year-old Henrico County junior, with no history of heart disease, had suffered a cardiac arrest at about 8:40 a.m. as students were heading to their first-period classes.
Friday afternoon — a day after doctors at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital installed a pacemaker on her chest that will help her control an abnormal heart rhythm — Hardy returned to Hermitage to surprise and thank the people she said saved her life.
She was smiling, energetic and looking as healthy as if nothing had happened to her just three days earlier.
"Did you save me? I can't remember who saved me," she told Ruder as she entered the school clinic in surprise.
"I think it's the man upstairs," the nurse responded and hugged her. "I'll tell you one thing. I never ever want to see this happen to you again!"
Hardy's father, Antonio Hardy, said his daughter is alive today thanks to the people at the school who did the right thing, including grabbing an AED and using it properly.
"I don't think there is a word in any language to express how grateful I am," Hardy said. "I am grateful to everybody that was involved in saving her life."
"The students that were involved, the staff that was involved, the police officer that was involved went above and beyond what they were supposed to do," he said.
As Ruder and Brawley arrived in the gym, they thought Hardy had fainted or had suffered a seizure, more common among teenagers, they said. But an application of ammonia didn't help Hardy regain consciousness and her skin turned blue, the nurses said.
"At that point we knew the situation was a little bit deeper than just fainting or maybe even a seizure," Ruder said. "Ms. Brawley and I figured she wasn't breathing. ... We could not feel her pulse whatsoever and we started CPR."
Steiner ran to get an AED that was in the gym while Ruder, Brawley, and senior police officer Glenn "Chip" Holder tried to resuscitate Hardy. They then applied the device and it determined that a shock was needed.
After a second shock, Hardy's pulse resumed and she was breathing. It took approximately 10 minutes from the moment Hardy collapsed to when she was resuscitated, school officials said.
Though AEDs are not required, there is at least one at every Henrico school, district spokesman Mychael Dickerson said. The devices cost roughly $1,000 and lead users through the steps needed so they can be used with little or no training.
At a school where the two nurses stay busy treating sports injuries or minor health problems, as well as keeping an eye on students with more significant health concerns, a student suffering cardiac arrest was unexpected.
"It is uncommon for a child to have cardiac arrest," Ruder said. "Kids do have seizures. We have kids that have diabetes that pass out. ... But this is the biggest thing that has ever happened to all of us."
The closest to something similar was two years ago when a parent suffered heart failure outside the school and died, Principal Omega W. Wilson said Thursday afternoon as she recalled Tuesday's scene at the gym.
So many things could have gone wrong, but everything happened in perfect timing and it was a true team effort, said a teary Wilson who, with Associate Principal Diane R. Saunders, was also at the scene Tuesday.
"They were the ones that brought her back to life," Wilson said of her staff and Holder. "These are my heroes because they are humble and they saved a life. They saved the life of a child."
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Why young folks die from cardiac arrest
Here's an article written by Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen. It's well-written, it mentions the most important points, but stops short of getting to the tragedy of it all, and it doesn't provide a solution.
They focus on HCM, a congenital disorder that yields a thicker left ventricle wall. In times of high demand on the heart (high exercise combined with high emotion (ever read about the basketball player that made the game-winning shot just before the buzzer and then died?) the heart can't supply the blood flow needed, and the person dies. Not to be macabre, but you can see this happen at SLICC's web site: Miki, who was 24 at the time of his death, was in the middle of a professional soccer / football match when his heart stopped. He put his head down - assumedly because he felt light-headed - and then collapsed. He didn't make it - which won't surprise you if you look closely at the quality of the CPR he got in the video.
But that's not the only reason young people die during sports. There are congenital problems with the heart's electrical circuitry such as WPW and long QT syndromes. Furthermore, there are fatal conditions (such as Comotio Cordis) that can be triggered by a sudden blow to the chest during a short but critical part of the heart's natural rhythm. This is most often seen when a lacrosse player is struck on the chest with a high-speed lacrosse ball.
So why don't we screen people for these conditions? Good idea, and in fact, Holly Morrell spends her time raising money to pay for screening for numerous conditions that might cause sudden cardiac arrest, but here is no underlying defect that permits Comotio Cordis to happen, because Comotio Cordis doesn't happen because of an underlying defect.
Here is the tragedy:
- To spot HCM - the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy referred to in the article below, you need to perform an echo cardiogram, and a cardiologist has to read it. Even then, it's not a really clear-cut test in some cases, and it's expensive.
- You can spot most electrical defects with an EKG, and a cardiologist will have to review that, too.
- You can have genetic screening performed for only $2,400 per person, but it's sensitivity is only 50% or so. That means it only picks up half the people you are looking for.
- You can reduce the cost of the screening by beginning with a smaller population, for example all 7th through 12th graders, and you can begin by administering a questionnaire designed to uncover family history that might predispose a child to an elevated risk of having one of these conditions. Any child that comes from a family with a suggestive history would then be screened by one of the more expensive methods.
Making some assumptions about the cost and efficacy of the various approaches, a rough estimate is that we could prevent about half the deaths from these causes. with a program that screened all athletes from 7th through 12th grade the first year and all 7th grade students thereafter. In Chatham County, Georgia, that would cost $30,000,000 the first year and $5,000,000 every year thereafter. Or perhaps the existing 7th through 12th population could be brought into the program over a period of six years. That would cost $10,000,000 every year for the first six years and $5,000,000 every year thereafter. To approximate the cost throughout the U.S.A. multiply those numbers by 1,000. It doesn't matter whether these cost estimates are high by a factor of ten - and I don't believe they are: this funding is not available.
There is a way, however, to prevent two-thirds of not only these defect-related and two-thirds of all the Comotio Cordis deaths: have everybody who plays or coaches or referees sports where these deaths might happen be trained in Bystander CPR and to have an AED at every practice and game. The cost can be negligible. Bystander CPR can be taught in a regular class session, and a suitable course is available at a minimal charge.
Now, here's the article that triggered my rant.
They focus on HCM, a congenital disorder that yields a thicker left ventricle wall. In times of high demand on the heart (high exercise combined with high emotion (ever read about the basketball player that made the game-winning shot just before the buzzer and then died?) the heart can't supply the blood flow needed, and the person dies. Not to be macabre, but you can see this happen at SLICC's web site: Miki, who was 24 at the time of his death, was in the middle of a professional soccer / football match when his heart stopped. He put his head down - assumedly because he felt light-headed - and then collapsed. He didn't make it - which won't surprise you if you look closely at the quality of the CPR he got in the video.
But that's not the only reason young people die during sports. There are congenital problems with the heart's electrical circuitry such as WPW and long QT syndromes. Furthermore, there are fatal conditions (such as Comotio Cordis) that can be triggered by a sudden blow to the chest during a short but critical part of the heart's natural rhythm. This is most often seen when a lacrosse player is struck on the chest with a high-speed lacrosse ball.
So why don't we screen people for these conditions? Good idea, and in fact, Holly Morrell spends her time raising money to pay for screening for numerous conditions that might cause sudden cardiac arrest, but here is no underlying defect that permits Comotio Cordis to happen, because Comotio Cordis doesn't happen because of an underlying defect.
Here is the tragedy:
- To spot HCM - the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy referred to in the article below, you need to perform an echo cardiogram, and a cardiologist has to read it. Even then, it's not a really clear-cut test in some cases, and it's expensive.
- You can spot most electrical defects with an EKG, and a cardiologist will have to review that, too.
- You can have genetic screening performed for only $2,400 per person, but it's sensitivity is only 50% or so. That means it only picks up half the people you are looking for.
- You can reduce the cost of the screening by beginning with a smaller population, for example all 7th through 12th graders, and you can begin by administering a questionnaire designed to uncover family history that might predispose a child to an elevated risk of having one of these conditions. Any child that comes from a family with a suggestive history would then be screened by one of the more expensive methods.
Making some assumptions about the cost and efficacy of the various approaches, a rough estimate is that we could prevent about half the deaths from these causes. with a program that screened all athletes from 7th through 12th grade the first year and all 7th grade students thereafter. In Chatham County, Georgia, that would cost $30,000,000 the first year and $5,000,000 every year thereafter. Or perhaps the existing 7th through 12th population could be brought into the program over a period of six years. That would cost $10,000,000 every year for the first six years and $5,000,000 every year thereafter. To approximate the cost throughout the U.S.A. multiply those numbers by 1,000. It doesn't matter whether these cost estimates are high by a factor of ten - and I don't believe they are: this funding is not available.
There is a way, however, to prevent two-thirds of not only these defect-related and two-thirds of all the Comotio Cordis deaths: have everybody who plays or coaches or referees sports where these deaths might happen be trained in Bystander CPR and to have an AED at every practice and game. The cost can be negligible. Bystander CPR can be taught in a regular class session, and a suitable course is available at a minimal charge.
Now, here's the article that triggered my rant.
Bystanders Save 56-Year-Old Man's Life After Heart Attack
Phil Gaudreau
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Ottawa Paramedics are crediting a bystander's excellent CPR skills for saving a life in the Cumberland area on Sunday.
The 56-year-old man collapsed in his garage in the Frank Kenny Road area around 2:45 p.m..
Two women who saw him fall rushed over and began giving CPR.
Paramedics arrived on scene and rushed him to hospital where he's recovering.
They're reminding you that free CPR courses are available through the City, and more information in on the City's website.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Ottawa Paramedics are crediting a bystander's excellent CPR skills for saving a life in the Cumberland area on Sunday.
The 56-year-old man collapsed in his garage in the Frank Kenny Road area around 2:45 p.m..
Two women who saw him fall rushed over and began giving CPR.
Paramedics arrived on scene and rushed him to hospital where he's recovering.
They're reminding you that free CPR courses are available through the City, and more information in on the City's website.
2,000 learn to save lives in Viera
Operation CPR offers rescue basics
VIERA — Iveth Nunez works at the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, where she is required to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and sees the benefits of the life-saving technique.
Nunez covered the bases in CPR basics with her family Saturday morning near her workplace, joining a crowd of about 2,000 people on the outfield of Space Coast Stadium for Health First's "Operation Civilians Prepared to Respond."
Operation CPR offered a short, effective and free session in CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, AED. Nunez said she couldn't pass up the chance to get such training for her 13-year-old daughter, Shailine, and Nunez's two nephews, Eric Gibbons, 9, and Maurice Gibbons, 15.
"My daughter is at home with me when I'm baybsitting and I wanted her and my nephews to know what to do in case of an emergency," said Nunez, a medical support assistant.
"I have to stay up-to-date in training and I know how important this is."
Health First's third-annual CPR training event shared new guidelines that make the breaths-and-compression technique easier than it's ever been, the crowd was told.
While the event was intended to educate residents on how to perform CPR, official certification can be obtained through courses offered by Health First and the American Red Cross.
But those gathered took matters seriously, despite '70s disco music that attendees were advised to keep in mind as they did compressions and the rampant jokes about being surrounded by dummies.
Health First volunteers assisted attendees, from school and church groups to large and small families and individuals, throughout the training.
Just three years ago, the first session drew about 125 people.
Mike Means, Health First president and CEO, told Saturday's huge crowd they are a "tremendous help in Health First's mission to make Brevard County a healthy, safer and better place to live and work and raise a family."
Hundreds of families, who received money-saving coupons, Brevard Manatees tickets and T-shirts for attending, agreed. As "Stayin' Alive" played over the speaker system, Chris and Tami Fung of Viera took seats beside adult-size and baby-size CPR dummies.
The Fungs, who are members of the Health First gym, learned about the training through e-mail and thought it would be good for the entire family. So they brought their children, Katelyn, 4, and Connor, 2, along for the hour's worth of activity and instruction.
As Chris Fung placed his hands on a dummy to practice compressions, Katelyn crouched in front of him and put her small hands on the dummy's chest, too.
A volunteer watched, saying, "Good job," as dad and daughter worked together.
"We want the children to know to call 9-1-1 if there's an emergency and be able to help someone if we can, too," Tami Fung said.
Contact Kennerly at 321-409-1423 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com.
VIERA — Iveth Nunez works at the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, where she is required to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and sees the benefits of the life-saving technique.
Nunez covered the bases in CPR basics with her family Saturday morning near her workplace, joining a crowd of about 2,000 people on the outfield of Space Coast Stadium for Health First's "Operation Civilians Prepared to Respond."
Operation CPR offered a short, effective and free session in CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, AED. Nunez said she couldn't pass up the chance to get such training for her 13-year-old daughter, Shailine, and Nunez's two nephews, Eric Gibbons, 9, and Maurice Gibbons, 15.
"My daughter is at home with me when I'm baybsitting and I wanted her and my nephews to know what to do in case of an emergency," said Nunez, a medical support assistant.
"I have to stay up-to-date in training and I know how important this is."
Health First's third-annual CPR training event shared new guidelines that make the breaths-and-compression technique easier than it's ever been, the crowd was told.
While the event was intended to educate residents on how to perform CPR, official certification can be obtained through courses offered by Health First and the American Red Cross.
But those gathered took matters seriously, despite '70s disco music that attendees were advised to keep in mind as they did compressions and the rampant jokes about being surrounded by dummies.
Health First volunteers assisted attendees, from school and church groups to large and small families and individuals, throughout the training.
Just three years ago, the first session drew about 125 people.
Mike Means, Health First president and CEO, told Saturday's huge crowd they are a "tremendous help in Health First's mission to make Brevard County a healthy, safer and better place to live and work and raise a family."
Hundreds of families, who received money-saving coupons, Brevard Manatees tickets and T-shirts for attending, agreed. As "Stayin' Alive" played over the speaker system, Chris and Tami Fung of Viera took seats beside adult-size and baby-size CPR dummies.
The Fungs, who are members of the Health First gym, learned about the training through e-mail and thought it would be good for the entire family. So they brought their children, Katelyn, 4, and Connor, 2, along for the hour's worth of activity and instruction.
As Chris Fung placed his hands on a dummy to practice compressions, Katelyn crouched in front of him and put her small hands on the dummy's chest, too.
A volunteer watched, saying, "Good job," as dad and daughter worked together.
"We want the children to know to call 9-1-1 if there's an emergency and be able to help someone if we can, too," Tami Fung said.
Contact Kennerly at 321-409-1423 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com.
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