NORRISTOWN — State Rep. Mike Vereb, R-150th Dist., delivered a bill to the House floor Wednesday that aims to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes.
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Prevention Act, or House Bill 1610, currently has 40 co-sponsors. The legislation calls for student athletes, who either exhibit signs or symptoms of SCA while participating in their sport or who have exhibited signs or symptoms of SCA prior to or following an athletic activity, to be removed from play until they provide written approval from an appropriate health care professional.
__________
That's ducky, just plain ducky.
The only sign / symptom of an SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest) is death. I guess it's appropriate to require "athletes who either exhibit signs or symptoms of SCA be removed from play until they provide written approval from an appropriate health care professional."
It would be more appropriate for the wizards in the House to pass a bill prohibiting a practice, tryout, or game session by an athletic group without an AED and a person trained in its use in attendance.
Bob
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
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Commotio Cordis Thwarted This Time
Note: During a brief part of every heartbeat, a heart can be placed in a chaotic state - so chaotic that it cannot pump blood - by a hard blow to the chest in the area of the heart. There is a registry that by no means captures all instances of this phenomenon, but in that sample, 95% of the victims were male and fewer than 20% survived. A person whose heart has stopped pumping in this manner can sometimes be resuscitated with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) but not always. There is no excuse for not having an AED at all practices and games in sports such as baseball and lacrosse. See Commotio Cordis in wiki for more details.
Bob
____________________
J-D lacrosse player revived after being struck by ball at tryout
Published: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 8:00 AM
Updated: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 8:40 AM
By Donnie Webb / The Post-Standard
A Jamesville-DeWitt High School lacrosse player was revived with CPR and a defibrillator after he was struck in the chest by a shot from another player on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at Fayetteville-Manlius High School during tryouts for a Section III team that will participate in a July event called the Upstate Risings.
Sophomore Dan Cochran, a member of the J-D junior varsity this past season, was in stable condition Wednesday night at University Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.
Red Rams head coach Jamie Archer, whose team just won the Class B state lacrosse championship, said Cochran was joking around “like it never happened” when he called the hospital to check on his player.
“A big sigh of relief,” Archer said. “He’ll probably never know how close it came to a different outcome.”
Rome Free Academy lacrosse coaches Guy Calandra and Jeremy Roberts were running the tryouts for about 50 10th-graders, including Cochran, when the incident happened at about 6:30 p.m. Calandra said he was about five feet away when he saw Cochran take the blow from the shot.
Cochran turned his body in anticipation of the contact. The lacrosse ball struck him in the rib cage underneath his chest protector. Calandra said Cochran fell face forward to the ground.
“When I got to look at him, I could just tell,” Calandra said. “I said to him, ‘Hey, are you OK? Look at me. What’s your name?’ He couldn’t respond. I yelled for 911 and Jeremy.”
Cochran’s breathing was labored. Roberts was at the opposite end of the field working with other players. The second time Calandra called his name, Roberts said he knew there was a crisis. He sprinted to the other end of the field to begin CPR on Cochran.
Roberts, 36, has worked as a lifeguard since he was 16 and been a certified trainer for the last five years. Calandra is trained in CPR as well. Calandra began a series of 30 compression pumps on Cochran’s chest. Roberts performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
The mother of another player trying out for the 11th-grade team approached the scene. She said she was a registered nurse and asked Calandra if he needed her to take over. She did and performed a series of compression pumps.
Fayetteville-Manlius High School certified trainer Cyndi Kelder rushed to the scene with a defibrillator. Even though this was not a school event, she had been hired to work the tryouts by Tom Hall, the longtime F-M lacrosse patriarch and the founder of the Upstate Risings event.
Kelder said Cochran had no pulse when she hooked him up to the defibrillator. The machine told her what to do next — apply the pads and shock the player. She did. The blast got Cochran’s heart pumping in rhythm again.
“I’ve been doing this awhile now,” said Kelder. “I’ve never had to open up (the defibrillator) other than checking it and for maintenance. It was one of those moments.”
Sirens from local ambulances and fire trucks wailed in the distance. Multiple rescue trucks pulled onto the field. Roberts kept yelling encouragement to Cochran. “Hang in there, buddy,” he said. “Hang in there.”
Cochran was beginning to respond. Calandra asked him how he felt. He told the coach his arm was sore. It was a sweet response.
The magnitude of their efforts hit hard later in the night. Calandra said he could barely talk, much less feel. Roberts said he hugged his wife, Becky, and broke into tears. The nurse who assisted on the field broke into tears when she saw her son after tryouts. She said it all hit home. That could have been her son, she said.
F-M boys lacrosse coach Chris Kenneally said he was witness to a tragedy at Hobart some 30 years ago when a player died on the field after being struck in the chest by a shot. He vowed that would never happen again and said the school is vigilant and ready with its supply of defibrillators and trainers.
Hall said had this happened at the Empire State Games, there would have been no trainers or defibrillators because of cost cuts.
“We prepare for this type of thing,” Hall said. “I was so impressed with the (RFA) staff and (F-M) trainer. I’ve seen some serious situations over the years. This has to be at the top of the list.”
“Even though we’re all trained, it was nice to have more hands,” Calandra said. “It went well. It could have been horrible.
“I hope I don’t ever have to do it again, I’ll tell you that.”
Bob
____________________
J-D lacrosse player revived after being struck by ball at tryout
Published: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 8:00 AM
Updated: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 8:40 AM
By Donnie Webb / The Post-Standard
A Jamesville-DeWitt High School lacrosse player was revived with CPR and a defibrillator after he was struck in the chest by a shot from another player on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at Fayetteville-Manlius High School during tryouts for a Section III team that will participate in a July event called the Upstate Risings.
Sophomore Dan Cochran, a member of the J-D junior varsity this past season, was in stable condition Wednesday night at University Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.
Red Rams head coach Jamie Archer, whose team just won the Class B state lacrosse championship, said Cochran was joking around “like it never happened” when he called the hospital to check on his player.
“A big sigh of relief,” Archer said. “He’ll probably never know how close it came to a different outcome.”
Rome Free Academy lacrosse coaches Guy Calandra and Jeremy Roberts were running the tryouts for about 50 10th-graders, including Cochran, when the incident happened at about 6:30 p.m. Calandra said he was about five feet away when he saw Cochran take the blow from the shot.
Cochran turned his body in anticipation of the contact. The lacrosse ball struck him in the rib cage underneath his chest protector. Calandra said Cochran fell face forward to the ground.
“When I got to look at him, I could just tell,” Calandra said. “I said to him, ‘Hey, are you OK? Look at me. What’s your name?’ He couldn’t respond. I yelled for 911 and Jeremy.”
Cochran’s breathing was labored. Roberts was at the opposite end of the field working with other players. The second time Calandra called his name, Roberts said he knew there was a crisis. He sprinted to the other end of the field to begin CPR on Cochran.
Roberts, 36, has worked as a lifeguard since he was 16 and been a certified trainer for the last five years. Calandra is trained in CPR as well. Calandra began a series of 30 compression pumps on Cochran’s chest. Roberts performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
The mother of another player trying out for the 11th-grade team approached the scene. She said she was a registered nurse and asked Calandra if he needed her to take over. She did and performed a series of compression pumps.
Fayetteville-Manlius High School certified trainer Cyndi Kelder rushed to the scene with a defibrillator. Even though this was not a school event, she had been hired to work the tryouts by Tom Hall, the longtime F-M lacrosse patriarch and the founder of the Upstate Risings event.
Kelder said Cochran had no pulse when she hooked him up to the defibrillator. The machine told her what to do next — apply the pads and shock the player. She did. The blast got Cochran’s heart pumping in rhythm again.
“I’ve been doing this awhile now,” said Kelder. “I’ve never had to open up (the defibrillator) other than checking it and for maintenance. It was one of those moments.”
Sirens from local ambulances and fire trucks wailed in the distance. Multiple rescue trucks pulled onto the field. Roberts kept yelling encouragement to Cochran. “Hang in there, buddy,” he said. “Hang in there.”
Cochran was beginning to respond. Calandra asked him how he felt. He told the coach his arm was sore. It was a sweet response.
The magnitude of their efforts hit hard later in the night. Calandra said he could barely talk, much less feel. Roberts said he hugged his wife, Becky, and broke into tears. The nurse who assisted on the field broke into tears when she saw her son after tryouts. She said it all hit home. That could have been her son, she said.
F-M boys lacrosse coach Chris Kenneally said he was witness to a tragedy at Hobart some 30 years ago when a player died on the field after being struck in the chest by a shot. He vowed that would never happen again and said the school is vigilant and ready with its supply of defibrillators and trainers.
Hall said had this happened at the Empire State Games, there would have been no trainers or defibrillators because of cost cuts.
“We prepare for this type of thing,” Hall said. “I was so impressed with the (RFA) staff and (F-M) trainer. I’ve seen some serious situations over the years. This has to be at the top of the list.”
“Even though we’re all trained, it was nice to have more hands,” Calandra said. “It went well. It could have been horrible.
“I hope I don’t ever have to do it again, I’ll tell you that.”
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
CPR saves man from drowning in Wolf Lake
Submitted by WZZM13, News Staff
Tuesday, June 14th, 10:04 pm
EGELSTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM) - Medics say a sunbather's knowledge of CPR likely saved the life of a man who nearly drowned in Wolf Lake Tuesday afternoon. Joshua Huddlestun, 25, of Egelston was pulled out of the water around 3:30 p.m.
Michael Flowers was relaxing on the beach at the time, and noticed the man in the water. When he realized the man was not breathing, Flowers put his knowledge of CPR to work.
"He was completely purple, not breathing (and had a) very faint very faint pulse. That's when I realized he needed CPR, so I started doing mouth to mouth while a young lady helped with compressions."
Dan Willea, the Deputy Fire Chief in Egelston Township says this accident proves the value of CPR training. "Everybody should be trained in CPR-- you never know when you are going to need it or use it."
Medics from the Egelston Township Fire Department relieved the people performing CPR and transported the man to the hospital. By the time he was in the ambulance he had a pulse, was breathing on his own and even saying a few words.
The victim's name and condition are not known.
Tuesday, June 14th, 10:04 pm
EGELSTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM) - Medics say a sunbather's knowledge of CPR likely saved the life of a man who nearly drowned in Wolf Lake Tuesday afternoon. Joshua Huddlestun, 25, of Egelston was pulled out of the water around 3:30 p.m.
Michael Flowers was relaxing on the beach at the time, and noticed the man in the water. When he realized the man was not breathing, Flowers put his knowledge of CPR to work.
"He was completely purple, not breathing (and had a) very faint very faint pulse. That's when I realized he needed CPR, so I started doing mouth to mouth while a young lady helped with compressions."
Dan Willea, the Deputy Fire Chief in Egelston Township says this accident proves the value of CPR training. "Everybody should be trained in CPR-- you never know when you are going to need it or use it."
Medics from the Egelston Township Fire Department relieved the people performing CPR and transported the man to the hospital. By the time he was in the ambulance he had a pulse, was breathing on his own and even saying a few words.
The victim's name and condition are not known.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Two things about this story are outrageous.
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.
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.
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."
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