Our weekly update on news in the world of heart safety and noninvasive cardiology
Popular Boston soccer figure suffers fatal cardiac arrest
Boston-area students and soccer players are mourning the death of beloved 33-year-old soccer coach Ucal McKenzie (pictured).
McKenzie experienced chest pains while playing in a community league soccer game. He collapsed, was given CPR, but was unconscious when ambulances arrived.
No AED was available at the field, and a local news website reported that it took ten minutes for an ambulance with a defibrillator to arrive at the field.
McKenzie was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.
New Oregon law mandates AEDs in public places
New legislation in Oregon requires AEDs in large public places such as malls, sports arenas, transportation centers, and theaters. An employee trained to use an AED must be on duty when the building is open to the public.
But Senate Bill 556 specifically exempts schools and places of worship — unfortunate since we lose 7,000 young persons a year in the United States to sudden cardiac arrest.
It’s a start, and perhaps stories like these next two will help Oregon include schools and places of worship.
San Diego, Cardiac Science, mark AED Awareness Week
Cardiac Science sales manager Enrique Christopherson demonstrates a Powerheart G3 AED at San Diego city council chambers.
Thanks to San Diego’s Project Heart Beat (a partnership involving San Diego government, fire and emergency services, and Cardiac Science) San Diego has one of the best survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest in the country.
Last week Mayor Jerry Sanders proclaimed a citywide AED Awareness Week, meeting with city fire and emergency services officials and the Project Heart Beat Team.
Our own Enrique Christopherson, Cardiac Science sales manager for southern California, was on hand to demonstrate a Powerheart AED G3 at San Diego city council chambers (at right, click to enlarge).
Student videographers win AEDs for their schools
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is awarding automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the winning schools in its recent student video contest.
Students from the competing elementary, middle, secondary schools and colleges produced three-to-five minute videos about the importance of CPR and AEDs.
The grand prize went to St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Salisbury, Maryland — a small school that did not yet have an AED. School nurse Andrea Malone said it was “at the top of their list,” and will be shared with the onsite community parish center. Videos from the finalists can be seen at the Foundation’s You Tube channel.
Cardiac Science, a sponsor of the Foundation’s You Can Save a Life at School awareness campaign, provided Powerheart G3 AEDs to be awarded to some of the winning schools.
Join the AHA’s “You’re the Cure” network
The American Heart Association invites you to sign up to help the association, and its American Stroke Association division, by talking to your legislators about heart health initiatives.
Related Products
- Powerheart AED G3 Plus
- Powerheart AED G3 Fully Automatic and Semi-automatic
- Powerheart AED G3 Pro
- Powerheart AED G3 Trainer
- AED Program Management
Last 5 posts
- Cardiac Science AEDs in Spain [VIDEO] - April 4th, 2011
- Cardiac Science wins first major public access defibrillation program in Europe - March 30th, 2011
- Georgia Park saves 5 lives with AEDs - March 24th, 2011
- Sad stories, avoidable deaths? - March 23rd, 2011
- Texas school's AED saves 6-year-old's life - March 22nd, 2011
Mon, Jun 8, 2009 |
AEDs, ECG, In The News