By Debra Dibartolo Jul 8th 2010 2:30PM
Three summers ago, I got a phone call from my mother one Wednesday evening, telling me to come straight to the hospital emergency department because, “Your brother’s heart stopped working.” My mother is usually not very excitable, so I was concerned but skeptical. My brother was an extremely healthy, 37-year-old father of two teenage boys. I knew my mother had to be making a mistake, because Brian was coaching football at the school that afternoon and therefore could not be in the hospital. I yelled upstairs to my husband to come with me to the emergency department; that my mother just called and is clearly very confused about something. “She thinks that Brian’s heart stopped,” I told him.

I understand that denial is very powerful. It’s a very strong psychologically-protective coping skill, but I truly was not in denial at that point. I really just thought my mother was confused.

Well, I was wrong. My 37-year-old brother — never sick a day in his life — suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on the high school football field while jogging with the members of his team.

Brian was one of the 600 people who die each day from sudden cardiac arrest. My family’s story is not a story of grief and loss, however. Our school has an automated external defibrillator, and all of the coaches and assistant coaches are educated on how to use it. Some of the teenage boys that he was jogging with ran to the school to get the AED, while another one of the coaches started cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called 911. Prior to the ambulance arriving, they “shocked” him twice and returned his heart to normal functioning.

Brian was hospitalized for five days while the nurses, doctors and technicians tried to figure out what happened and provide him with treatment, so it would not happen again. He was discharged and sent home with no injury to his heart, and a permanently implanted defibrillator in his chest for protection, should this ever happen again.

My brother’s story is not just an occurrence of “good luck.” It is a testament to organizations like the American Heart Association and their Public Access Defibrillation Program. As well as the skill, sound minds and quick responses of the young men on his football team, the other coaches, the volunteer emergency ambulance service in our community and the skill and training of the doctors, nurses and technicians who provided Brian’s care and treatment in the hospital.

Defibrillation is the only treatment for ventricular fibrillation, the condition that Brian suffered from that day. His heart, for reasons we still don’t know, began to beat chaotically and ceased pumping blood, which led to him collapsing and having no signs of life. Per the AHA, for every minute that passes, the chances that someone will survive ventricular fibrillation decreases 7 to 10 percent. So after as little as ten minutes, the chances of survival are very, very slim.

It was not a highly-trained emergency medicine doctor, cardiac nurse or paramedic with years of education and experience that saved Brian’s life that afternoon. The real hero of this story was a coach — one of his friends — who attended a one-day class given by the American Red Cross on how to administer CPR and use an AED.

Attending an AHA class is fun! Attending a class with your friends or family is even more fun. The instructors are not intimidating and they have programs that can be tailored to your specific needs and comfort level. Most of the classes don’t even have a test! What they do have is caring community members teaching other caring community members the skills they need to save a life.

SOURCE: AOL Health

Sudden Death in Athletes Prevention Program

Keith Mankowitz, MD – Director

The sudden death of a young athlete is a tragic event that has devastating effects on families and communities. These deaths are usually due to unsuspected heart disease. Many heart conditions are not detected by routine screening measures.

Here we outline the incidence and causes of sudden death in athletes under 35 years of age and discuss measures on how to prevent this devastating event. The information is intended as a guide for institutions who are involved with screening athletes under 35 years.

INCIDENCE, MECHANISM AND CARDIAC CAUSES OF DEATH

Incidence
There are approximately 75 deaths per year in athletes between 13-25 years. 89% occur in males, 64% occur in females. Most deaths occur during or immediately after exercise.

Mechanism of Death
Certain heart conditions react adversely to exercise. Exercise causes the heart to fibrillate, usually ventricular fibrillation and then stop. The athlete collapses suddenly and if not resuscitated immediately dies within minutes.

Cardiac Causes of Sudden Death
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: 36%
Coronary anomalies: 17%
Myocarditis: 6%
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia: 4%
Long QT Syndrome: 4%

CORONARY ANOMALIES

The above diagram depicts the normal 3 major coronary arteries which supply the heart with nutrition & oxygen.

Coronary anomalies occur when the arteries originate and/or course in an abnormal way.

The arrow points to the normal origin of the right coronary artery from the right side of the Aorta. If the left coronary artery originated from this site, it would have to course across the heart to reach its intended heart muscle. This abnormal course could result in compression of the artery between the Aorta and the Pulmonary artery during exertion resulting in chest pain, shortness of breath or sudden death.

Heart Anatomy

The diagnosis can only be made if an athlete with chest pain or shortness of breath undergoes a detailed Echocardiogram looking at the coronary arteries, a CAT Scan of the heart or a MRI of the heart.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Ensure that athletes with chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations or passing out undergo a thorough medical evaluation. Train athletes with a graded program gradually building up their fitness level. Keep athletes well hydrated. Respond immediately to an athlete who has collapsed and be aware that the athlete may have suffered a cardiac arrest.

Train your staff to perform cardiac life support and have trained staff available at every practice and sporting event. Purchase a debrillator and ensure it is readily accessible.

Dr. Keith Mankowitz, the Director of the Sudden Death in Athletes Prevention Program at Washington University, is offering St Louis High Schools the following:

1) Advice on measures to prevent injury and death in athletes.
2) Review their current screening forms to ensure they comply with the American Heart Association guidelines.
3) Encourage coaches and sports personnel to be certified in cardiac resuscitation.

SOURCE: cardiology.wustl.edu

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Michael Jackson’s Death Underscores the Tragedy and Impact of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association said Thursday that pop singer Michael Jackson’s death at the age of 50 underscores the tragedy of sudden cardiac arrest, which kills nearly 300,000 Americans each year and is the nation’s leading cause of death.

“Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the result of an electrical disruption of the heart and is different than a heart attack,” said SCAA Executive Director Chris Chiames. “It can strike seemingly healthy individuals without warning, including those with no known history of heart disease. SCA kills an American once every two minutes and can happen virtually anytime and anywhere. Nearly 80 percent of all sudden cardiac arrests occur in the home, like in Mr. Jackson’s case. Even though Mr. Jackson’s collapse was apparently witnessed, emergency medical services responded promptly and Mr. Jackson’s home was near UCLA Medical Center, it was still not sufficient to revive Mr. Jackson because SCA victims usually need immediate CPR and the shock of an automated external defibrillator (AED) if they are to have any chance of survival. Today’s news should be a reminder that CPR is a basic life-saving skill that everyone should know, and that AEDs should be widely deployed to enhance the chance of survival.”
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