American Heart Association Tag

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality varies widely between systems and locations, prompting the American Heart Association to emphasize key components to improve resuscitative efforts, according to a consensus statement published in Circulation. In the statement, the AHA emphasizes five critical areas of high-quality CPR: Minimize interruptions to chest compressions. Compressions generate blood flow and should be delivered more than 80% of the time the patient doesn’t have a pulse. Provide the right rate of compressions — 100 to 120 per minute are optimal for survival. Ensure compressions...

Every time Jenny Keylon, RN, BSN, teaches students how to perform CPR and use an AED, she watches them conquer their fears about saving lives. As a volunteer with the Nick of Time Foundation in Mill Creek, Wash., she regularly demonstrates these basic lifesaving skills to students. Keylon, an electrophysiology nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital, is one of about 100 RNs — along with physicians, allied health professionals and community members — whose volunteer efforts with the foundation are helping prevent...

For men competing in triathlons past the age of 40, the grueling slog to the finish line could be their last. As the average age of competitors in endurance sports rises, a spate of deaths during races or intense workouts highlights the risks of excessive strain on the heart through vigorous exercise in middle age. Among the recent casualties: Michael McClintock, senior managing director of Macquarie Group Ltd. (MGQ) and a triathlete, who died at age 55 of cardiac arrest earlier this month...

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Experts estimate about 30 percent of sudden cardiac deaths happen when a person is asleep. But now a new wearable device is saving lives for some heart patients. Barbara Campbell has a history of heart problems. She was shocked awake one night when her heart went into arrhythmia by a LifeVest. Doctor John McPherson prescribed it to her after putting a stent in her heart. Read more...

A pediatric nurse said Friday she was in the right place at the right time to revive a 14-year-old girl who collapsed while dancing in the upper deck during a Kansas City Royals game. Sam Sapenaro, 26, was working her second job as a member of Kauffman Stadium's K-Crew on Thursday night when a nearby fan yelled for help. Sapenaro said she rushed over and found the girl unresponsive and with no pulse. Sapenaro said she began performing CPR with help from a man...

The automated external defibrillator industry is about to get a bit of a jolt, according to Brendon Nafiger in DOTmed Business News. In March, the Food and Drug Administration released a long-in-the-works proposed order that will toughen the procedure for getting the devices on the market after a number of high-profile recalls. It's unclear exactly how this will affect AED-makers, but it could dramatically increase the money and time needed to commercialize the life-saving equipment. Not everyone is happy about this....

Early heart disease ran in Rick Del Sontro’s family, and every time he went for a run, he was scared his heart would betray him. So he did all he could to improve his odds. He kept himself lean, stayed away from red meat, spurned cigarettes and exercised intensely, even completing an Ironman Triathlon. “I had bought the dream: if you just do the right things and eat the right things, you will be O.K.,” said Mr. Del Sontro, whose cholesterol and blood pressure are...

Most nursing home staff do not support performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on elderly residents who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, as most patients' health will not improve sufficiently for them to return to the facility, according to new research. While most nursing homes have policies to administer CPR, a survey of aged-care facility managers in Australia found fewer than one in five thought cardiac arrest patients should be revived if their hearts stopped. The results of the study carried out late last year and...

Progress on curbing the leading killer of athletes―sudden cardiac death―by spotting heart problems early, has been slow. But the development of a series of online tutorials for sports and cardiology doctors looks set to reverse this trend. The tutorials, which are free to any doctor around the globe, thanks to the backing of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) and FIFA, aim to teach physicians how to read heart monitor tracings (ECGs) and spot abnormalities linked to potentially fatal...

A new NCAA-funded research study supports the addition of electrocardiogram (ECG) screening to the standardized pre-participation exams for athletes to better identify cardiac abnormalities that lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD) -- the leading cause of death in athletes during sport. Currently, ECG screening is not a required component of physical exams for NCAA athletes; however, according to NCAA estimates, nearly a dozen college student-athletes in the US suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year. Results support that ECG screening in NCAA athletes...