Heartsafe news: Our weekly update on what’s happening in the world of heart safety and noninvasive cardiology

Pulse oximeter: Important tool for diagnosing heart problems in newborns

Failure to use pulse oximetry to examine newborns for congenital heart disease (CCHD) results in “significant” instances of illness — and even infant death, according to a group of experts convened by the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. In a statement published online and included in a recent issue of Circulation, the group concluded that using a pulse oximeter to detect heart problems before newborns are discharged from the hospital is a low-cost, low-risk way to detect CCHD. The conclusions were based on an examination of the recent medical literature on use of pulse oximeters.

Improving rural access and community access to AEDs

The Rural Access to Emergency Devices (RAED) Grant Program (a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) helps get AEDs and CPR/AED training to rural communities. Communities must apply as community partnerships, representing EMS, law enforcement, fire departments, and other community entities.

This spreadsheet from the AHA shows current state-by-state funding.

The American Heart Association is urging people to contact their legislators to support funding for the program, currently before Congress.

CPR? It’s elementary

An Austrian CPR study published in the online site for the journal Critical Care found that grade-school students taught CPR will remember how to perform it correctly months later. In a study of 147 students who received six hours of life-support training (including training in the use of an automated external defibrillator), 86 percent of the children performed CPR correctly at a follow-up session four months after the training.

The researcher said their results support training children in CPR at an early age: “Even if physical strength may limit CPR effectiveness, cognitive skills are not dependent on age, and with periodic retraining, children’s performance would likely improve over time.”

Edinburgh equips paramedics with bikes and AEDs

Edinburgh paramedic: Bikes, equipped with AEDS, help handle summer festival emergencies.

Summer festival season in Edinburgh, Scotland, means crowded streets, traffic jams, and tens of thousands of visitors. The Scottish Ambulance Service has put paramedics on mountain bikes, equipping them with first aid kits that include automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The BBC news reports that an additional 300 emergency calls are expected in the month of August. Contact Shaun Ingram for more information.

Take Heart program raises heart resuscitation awareness in Minnesota

Take Heart America, a sudden cardiac arrest survival initiative, will go statewide in Minnesota later this year, according to a recent story on Minnesota Public Radio. The program to coordinate community heart-health resources to increase survival rates has been piloted in St. Cloud, MN, Anoka County, MN, Columbus, OH, and Austin, TX.

Take Heart America is building community awareness of heart safety, deploying automated external defibrillators (AEDs) according to American Heart Association guidelines for community use, and improving resuscitation techniques for professional responders. Another key part of the Take Heart program is the creation of regional “Level 1 cardiac arrest centers,” described as analogous to regional Level 1 trauma centers. Pilot programs are reporting not only dramatically increased patient survival rates, but also positive financial outcomes for the healthcare institutions involved.

New Mexico commuter trains get AEDs

The Rail Runner commuter trains in New Mexico are about to install automated external defibrillators in the cab cars of all trains. Conductors, engineers, and ticket clerks with the rail system will all be trained in AED use.

“When you consider the fact that a person can be on the train anywhere from 15-minutes to two-hours, it makes sense to have this kind of equipment in the event of a medical emergency,” says Lawrence Rael, Executive Director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments. “We look at this as a continued effort to provide safe transportation.” Laurence Saban is our AED Expert in New Mexico.

Iowa man wants to spare others the wait for defibrillation

When Iowa businessman Erik Munn collapsed while playing basketball at the local community center in February, he had to wait for paramedics to arrive and administer a life-saving shock from an AED. One of the other players gave him CPR, enhancing his chances of responding to defibrillation when the AED arrived.

As soon as he recovered, Munn bought a defibrillator for his business. He has since launched a campaign to place AEDs in Ames-area businesses and schools. Scott Barnes is our AED Expert in Iowa.

Derbyshire pub joins campaign to place AEDs in rural areas

Nick Thompson, landlord of the John Thompson Inn and Brewer in Ingleby, has installed an AED in his centrally located pub to serve as a resource for the rural community. He joins a campaign started by estate agent Michael Brain to place AEDs in rural areas in the region.

Brain is encouraging villages, businesses, parish councils and organizations to put together £2,200 to buy an AED package that includes an AED and AED training from East Midlands Ambulance service. Each device comes with a secure cabinet; rescuers must call 999 (the UK equivalent of 911) to obtain a code for unlocking the cabinet.

Related Products

• Burdick Oxy 100 Pulse Oximeter
• Burdick Spiroxcard Spirometer and Pulse Oximeter
• Burdick 90217 Ambulatory Blood Pressure System

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

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