Latest news with #cardiacarrest
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
I became a first aider after my brother died on camera – why parents MUST save hotel addresses before their holiday
A PARENTING professional has revealed how she trained in first aid after witnessing her brother die on camera. Kate Ball, who is now the powerhouse behind Mini First Aid, is now urging parents to get clued up on vital skills. She shared her own heartbreaking story on Giovanni Fletcher's Parenting SOS podcast. Kate's world was rocked when her brother, just 20 months her junior, passed away in a terrifying incident. After finishing their respective degrees, her brother went out to celebrate his geography finals at Portsmouth University. "He went out celebrating as students do, and he decided one they had done their celebrating to go and watch the sun come up on the beach in Portsmouth," Kate shared. "They sat on the Portsmouth beach and he ran in front of one of his friends, and one of his friends was filming him, and he ran up to the camera and he went 'I'm knackered.' And then he laid down and he died. 'He literally laid down because his heart had been put under so much pressure with this run, acceleration and everything else, and he went into cardiac arrest. 'The young people on the scene didn't know what to do and they called the emergency services. "They said he made a funny noise. One of them wrote in his memorial book, 'I'm sorry I couldn't save you'. 'We never hold any malice towards any of those young people because ultimately it wasn't their fault. It was his heart that wasn't working." But the painful question remains: "The fact that there wasn't correct CPR until the paramedics arrived means that we will never know if the outcome could've been different." What to do if your baby is drowning It was this experience that sparked Kate's mission. She said: "In my learning brain, I'm going, I'm teaching people to learn stuff all the time, all be it about chocolate at the time, how on earth can you not know how to save somebody's life and that's where Mini First Aid came from." With summer upon us, Kate is now urging parents to be extra vigilant, whether you're off on a dream holiday or just enjoying the garden. "Sometimes when you are distracted, especially because we are on our devices, and a lot of us are still trying to work while we do everything else, what we need to do is just do a little bit more," she advised. It's a "very unsexy phrase," but "we just need to do a risk assessment." Safety first She explained that this means thinking: "What could happen, what could I make safe before I do this." These could be simple things like "making sure your kids put a helmet on before you go out on scooters or on a bike," or if you're visiting someone with a pond, "you go 'Oh okay, I need to make that safe before they go and play in the garden'." Even ensuring they've got "their suncream on, that they are wearing hats, that they are wearing sunglasses, there's so many things." She continued: "If you were just able before you start your day, or the night before, to just go 'I just need to consider what I have in place' because the prevention then means that you don't even have to do the first aid if it's not going to happen. Kids are going to have bumps and scrapes, and that's where you need to make sure you've got a first aid kit with you Kate BallMini First Aid Founder 'What we see in A&E in the UK and I imagine that this will reflect similarly globally, is there are so many young children going to hospital with accidents that could've been prevented. 'We see a rise of that in the summer, particularly water related incidents like drowning. "So if you just take a moment to make sure that I've made it as safe as I can. "I know that you can't wrap your kids up in cotton wool. Kids are going to have bumps and scrapes, and that's where you need to make sure you've got a first aid kit with you." Swimming safety advice Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer: How to stay safe at the beach Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: "If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety. "If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard." How to stay safe at the swimming pool Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: "Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency. "It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life". An Auqabliss spokesperson added: ' Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool. ' Children may try to grab these from the pool's edge and fall in." How to stay safe at a waterpark Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: "Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult. "And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently. ' Waterparks are often very busy places and it's easy to lose sight of a child in a split second." She also warns that "we see a huge number of incidents of it happening when you just arrive on holiday." This is because "you've all got that new moment of excitement, where you are staying. Perhaps you are checking out the bedrooms, who is going to sleep where, and that's where the kids go and explore, and that's when can happen." Royal Life Saving Society Organisations like the RLSS (Royal Life Saving Society) "who are very focused on life saving and safety around water will talk about swimming pool safety." "If you are going to a holiday place that has a pool, and you are checking out where everyone is going to sleep and the kids are walking towards the pool, because that looks cool," she said. "Again just being on almost heightened alert when you have just arrived somewhere, so that if you can prevent an incident from happening." For very young children, Kate suggests taking some safety products with you. She said: "You can pack things like door jammers to stop doors slamming, corner protectors. You can pack them and take them with you. "Sometimes you might see this beautiful holiday property that looks great and then you look at piece of furniture, and then you go 'I'd never have that at my house because it's got sharp edges'. "You can challenge them and say what have you got in the way of baby safety.' But when it comes to holidays, Kate has one major tip. "Put the address (of your hotel) in your phone, so that you've got it on the notes page of your phone, so that if you have to ring the emergency services, that you can articulate where you are." she explains. This is especially crucial "if English is not the first language spoken in that area." You can even send that information in a text. 3 She also reminds parents to not forget about researching the area on Google maps to find the local pharmacy or medical center ahead of the trip. "Google Translate is brilliant," she added. "It will tell you enough. If you speak into your phone, and you can say that to a pharmacist. Then they can help you and support you with that." When it comes to water, Kate had some sobering facts. "You can drown in less than 5cm of water. Pools have got to be covered and gated. The best pools are gated,' she explained. 'Really good hotels will have things like you have to scan your room key to get into the pool, but the key thing is supervising." Another vital tip involves swimwear colours. How to keep your kids safe in warm weather Hot weather is fabulous, a wonderful trip to the beach or enjoying time in the garden! However, when temperatures skyrocket it can become dangerous. Save The Children have compiled 10 heat safety tips for keeping children safe in a heatwave. 1. Light clothing, heavy suncream Choose lightweight, light-coloured, and breathable fabrics (such as cotton), and use lots of suncream to protect you and your child from the heat and potential sunburn. 2. Drink lots of fluids Remember to drink plenty of liquids, regardless of your activity level. Check your baby's nappy for concentrated (dark in color) urine, which can indicate dehydration. 3. Get lots of rest Try and limit activities. Make sure that children get lots of rest when they are active. NHS advises to 'try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm'. 4. Keep children entertained Children may become anxious or restless from being kept indoors. Plan for indoor activities and games. 5. Reassure children Children may be stressed by the heat. Remember that children take their cues from their parents and caregivers, so try to keep calm and answer their questions openly and honestly. Also stick to regular bath and sleep times for your child. 6. House safety/cooling tips During the day, keep rooms cool by closing blinds/curtains, especially in rooms facing the sun. Using a fan to circulate air in the room is your child's school sun policy. 7. Never leave children unsupervised in parked cars Even in less threatening temperatures, vehicles can rapidly heat up to dangerous temperatures. A child left inside a car is at risk of severe heat-related illness or death, even if the windows are cracked open. 8. Stay informed Listen to local news and weather channels for health, safety and weather-related updates. 9. Know how to identify heat-related illnesses Look for signs of heat-related illnesses/conditions such as heat stroke, exhaustion, cramps, and severe sunburn. If children show these symptoms, seek medical assistance. Refer to the NHS website for a complete list, and how to remedy them. 10. Read the NHS guidance for babies The NHS advises giving your baby a cool bath before bedtime and keeping nightwear to a minimum. Your baby will sleep most comfortably at room temperature between 16C and 20C, a nursery thermometer will help you monitor the temperature of the baby's room. 3 "This is all about putting your children in a really bright colour and avoiding those bluey, greeny colours," she revealed. "When you go under the water it makes them much harder to spot. So if you are looking for a missing child around water then it's tricky." And if you do lose your child near water, as well as shouting their name, "you shout what they are wearing because that means that the people around you can help you look."
CBC
16 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
How sudden cardiac arrest can be different for athletes — based on their sex
Social Sharing When varsity rower Ruth McDonald competes, she's thinking about pushing herself hard and winning the race. The potential of suffering a medical emergency — while always possible — is the last thing on her mind. "Every sport, you have to be comfortable with pain and comfortable with getting uncomfortable," she said. "So something like injury or having cardiac arrest is not something you have on your mind, because you're so focused on working so hard and achieving the best results possible." Sudden cardiac arrests in female athletes are a rising concern for sports medicine experts because doctors say they're realizing how little they know about the heart health of female athletes, and their risk level for the condition. While rare, sudden cardiac arrests are a leading cause of death for young athletes. According to a Canadian study published in March, men are over 10 times more likely to experience a sports-related cardiac arrest than women. But women, when their hearts suddenly stop, are less likely to survive, according to several studies. Reasons unclear Dr. Paul Dorian, who co-authored the Canadian study, says there aren't clear explanations for the disparity between male and female athletes. But he pointed to one problem: Cardiac arrests in male athletes are more likely caused by heart rhythm disturbances, like an arrhythmia, due to a hardening of the arteries. "Think of it as a heart attack in waiting. So those are plumbing problems, which then cause an electric problem," said Dorian, a cardiologist at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital. In female athletes, by contrast, cardiac arrests are often from a different cause, says Dorian: They're more likely due to heart diseases from heritable causes, or which developed from viruses. Another factor, Dorian says, is that women may not always realize when they are about to have a cardiac arrest. Whereas men are more likely to have the classic symptoms of an emergency, like chest pain or chest tightness, women are more likely to experience symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and exhaustion. Another key factor that can affect whether someone survives or dies of a sudden cardiac arrest: how quickly bystanders react, says Dorian. Bystanders tend to step in less frequently to resuscitate a woman, whether through CPR or putting the woman on an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED. Researchers don't have a lot of data on why. It may be that some bystanders don't recognize the symptoms in women, or they feel reluctant to perform chest compressions, or to remove a woman's shirt and place the defibrillator pads on her chest. Physiological differences There are also differences between male hearts and female hearts — in size, electrical system and blood vessels, says Dr. Paula Harvey, a heart specialist and the head of medicine at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. "We are behind the game, so to speak, when it comes to understanding the biology of women's hearts with respect to the impact of different types of sports and different types of stressors," she said. Some of the key questions she wants answers to: the best ways to screen female athletes for structural heart disease and electrical heart problems that could put them at risk — and the best ways to respond to somebody who has a cardiovascular complication or emergency while on the playing field. Harvey is trying to fill in some of those blanks, researching how age and hormonal changes, like menopause, can affect women's cardiac health. Specifically, Harvey is studying female athletes who have stopped having periods and showing symptoms that resemble menopause, because they're not eating enough calories to balance out all their training — and how the energy imbalance impacts heart health. That can be hard on the cardiovascular system, suggests Harvey's research, which she recently presented at the Female Athlete Conference in Boston. She thinks not enough athletes are aware of the problem, which she says can easily be corrected — and the symptoms reversed — by eating more. "Even just a granola bar to increase that number of calories," she said. Dr. Steven Joseph, chief medical officer of Rowing Canada, also thinks there is much more to be learned about sex differences and risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest. "We're just starting to realize there are significant physiological differences," he said. "A lot of the old studies were based on male athletes and they're not transferable." Joseph is hoping there will be more research that could inform athletes and coaches on how to train safely — and manage risk factors. Because — Harvey, Joseph and Dorian all agree — physical activity has so many benefits for overall health, not just cardiac health. They just want everyone to be able to do it safely.
Medscape
18 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Cardiac Arrest Survival Rises Over Last Two Decades
TOPLINE: While the incidence of cardiac arrest occurring outside the hospital has remained relatively stable, at about 81 per 100,000 person-years, between 2001 and 2020, data show survival rates improved from 14.7% to 18.9% during that period. This improvement corresponded with increased bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), from 55.5% to 73.9%, and the use of early automated external defibrillators, from 2.2% to 10.9%. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 25,118 adults in King County, Washington, who had experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) treated by emergency medical services (EMS) between 2001 and 2020. Of those, 15,994 (63.7%) were men and 9124 were women; the median age was 65 years. Annual incidence calculations were stratified by sex, age group (less than 65 years and 65 years or older), and initial rhythm (shockable, nonshockable). The tesearchers evaluated temporal trends using Poisson regression for incidence and survival to hospital discharge, with resuscitation assessed in five-year groups. TAKEAWAY: Overall survival to hospital discharge improved significantly over time: 14.7% (859 of 5847 individuals) in 2001-2005, 17.4% (1024 of 5885 individuals) in 2006-2010, 19.3% (1232 of 6376 individuals) in 2011-2015, and 18.9% (1322 of 7010 individuals) in 2016-2020 (P < .001 for trend). Survival rates increased substantially for shockable OHCA, from 35% to 47.5%, and for nonshockable OHCA, from 6.4% to 10.1% between the periods spanning 2001-2005 and 2016-2020 (P < .001 for trend). Improvements were observed in both prehospital resuscitation (survival to hospital admission) and in-hospital survival (P < .001 for trend). Community response rose significantly, with bystander CPR increasing from 55.5% to 73.9% and early use of an automated external defibrillator rising from 2.2% to 10.9% (P < .001 for trend). IN PRACTICE: 'Resuscitation outcomes improved over time, a temporal trend that was evident overall and when stratified by presenting arrest rhythm,' the researchers reported. 'The outcome improvements corresponded to improvements in health services such as increase in bystander CPR, AED application before EMS among patients with shockable rhythm, and hospital-based care with targeted temperature management and coronary intervention. The results demonstrate the dynamic nature of OHCA incidence and resuscitation care and outcome that collectively help provide a foundational context to consider strategies of prevention and treatment.' SOURCE: The study was led by Owen McBride, MD, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. It was published online July 16 in JAMA Cardiology. LIMITATIONS: According to the authors, while the study represents a singular regional experience that could affect generalizability, as OHCA incidence and outcome can vary based on geography. Some people who experience OHCA have an emergency response but do not receive resuscitation attempts due to signs of irreversible death or do-not-resuscitate orders, whereas some OHCA events do not receive a 911 medical response. DISCLOSURES: Michael Sayre, MD, reported receiving personal fees from Styker Emergency Response outside the submitted work. Thomas Rea, MD, MPH, reported receiving grants from Philips Medical Funding and the American Heart Association for research independent of the current publication. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Worst places in the UK to have a heart stoppage identified
A charity has identified some of the UK's 'defibrillator deserts', highlighting which places in the UK people could be least likely to get urgent help if their heart suddenly stops. The devices give a shock to someone whose heart has stopped, also known as a cardiac arrests. They can be found in communities across the UK – on the sides of libraries, schools or other local landmarks – which mean that people can be helped during the wait for emergency services. Around 30,000 cardiac arrests occur in communities around the UK each year, also known as out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said. Less than one in 10 people survive these medical emergencies. But the use of a defibrillator and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can double a person's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. The BHF said that every minute without CPR and defibrillation decreases survival chances by 10%. The BHF has highlighted 10 of the communities across the UK which do not have a potentially life-saving defibrillator close by. These are: – Holme Hill, Grimsby, England– Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, England– Mixenden, Halifax , England– Revoe, Blackpool, England– Gabalfa, Cardiff, Wales– Trevethin, Pontypool, Wales– Hillhead Kilmarnock, Scotland– Broomhill, Greenock, Scotland– Twinbrook, Dunmurry, Northern Ireland– Lagan Valley, Lisburn, Northern Ireland The charity is urging local communities which do not have defibrillators to apply for its Community Defibrillator Funding Programme. Sam Kennard, community defibrillator manager at the BHF said: 'Defibrillators save lives and make communities safer. 'Every defibrillator holds the power to help save someone's life and is crucial in the chain of survival during a cardiac arrest. 'We've made progress but there are still some areas without any defibrillators at all, and these are among our most deprived communities. 'We are delighted to be relaunching our community defibrillator funding programme to reach the areas where we can make the most difference and save more lives from cardiac arrest.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Worst places in the UK to have a heart stoppage identified
A charity has identified some of the UK's 'defibrillator deserts', highlighting which places in the UK people could be least likely to get urgent help if their heart suddenly stops. The devices give a shock to someone whose heart has stopped, also known as a cardiac arrests. They can be found in communities across the UK – on the sides of libraries, schools or other local landmarks – which mean that people can be helped during the wait for emergency services. Community Defibrillator Coordinator, Joanne, explains how to use a defib to help someone in cardiac arrest. — Yorkshire Ambulance (@YorksAmbulance) May 31, 2024 Around 30,000 cardiac arrests occur in communities around the UK each year, also known as out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said. Less than one in 10 people survive these medical emergencies. But the use of a defibrillator and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can double a person's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. The BHF said that every minute without CPR and defibrillation decreases survival chances by 10%. The BHF has highlighted 10 of the communities across the UK which do not have a potentially life-saving defibrillator close by. These are: – Holme Hill, Grimsby, England– Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, England– Mixenden, Halifax , England– Revoe, Blackpool, England– Gabalfa, Cardiff, Wales– Trevethin, Pontypool, Wales– Hillhead Kilmarnock, Scotland– Broomhill, Greenock, Scotland– Twinbrook, Dunmurry, Northern Ireland– Lagan Valley, Lisburn, Northern Ireland The charity is urging local communities which do not have defibrillators to apply for its Community Defibrillator Funding Programme. Sam Kennard, community defibrillator manager at the BHF said: 'Defibrillators save lives and make communities safer. 'Every defibrillator holds the power to help save someone's life and is crucial in the chain of survival during a cardiac arrest. 'We've made progress but there are still some areas without any defibrillators at all, and these are among our most deprived communities. 'We are delighted to be relaunching our community defibrillator funding programme to reach the areas where we can make the most difference and save more lives from cardiac arrest.'
