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

Lansing State Journal looks at cardiac screening for young athletes

An article in the Lansing State Journal looks at the evidence for and against more rigorous cardiac screening — including electrocardiograms — to protect young athletes from sudden cardiac arrest. Among the arguments in favor:

Italy made annual ECG screening a government-subsidized requirement 25 years ago for athletes between the ages of 12 and 35 – and reports an 89 percent annual decline in the incidence of sudden cardiac death in its young athletes, according to an American Heart Association study.

Experts debate the costs and benefits of cardiac screening for young athletes.

Among the arguments against:

Even the staunchest of ECG advocates realize that the United States health-care system is not in a position to add cost at this point. Insurance companies will not pay for ECG tests unless a patient has a reason to get one.

The article examines the latest research studies on the effectiveness of ECG test and other advances cardiac screening protocols in detecting heart abnormalities in seemingly healthy children and young adults. It also includes comments from experts for and against more rigorous — and costly — screening programs. Jayne Vining, head of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes (CAS) Foundation talks about the foundations current program that provides free ECG screenings to students at 27 Florida high schools. The testing recently found that a 15-year-old track athlete had a potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormality. The student is now scheduled for surgery to correct the defect.

“The stories, of those lost and saved, aren’t abundant,” the article notes, adding, “But they are powerful.”

California school district aims to equip schools with AEDs

The Poway Unified School District in San Diego has announced plans to put automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all 37 school buildings. The plan received a “go ahead” from the district’s board of trustees and their final approval is expected in August. See California AED legislation.

An AED article in the North County Times reported that part of the reason for implementing the plan is to protect students against sports-related cardiac emergencies, including sudden cardiac arrest and commotio cordis.

“In children, that tends to be where you see the most heart condition- or heart attack-related deaths,” Steve Salvati, director of risk management for the school district, told the paper.

The paper reported that the district already has 12 defibrillators, including two at high school swimming pools. The AED program recently received donations of three AEDs, one from the family of a 14-year-old who suffered a heart attack outside a junior high school. While the boy received emergency medical treatment, he was not given a shock from an AED until 23 minutes after the heart attack occurred, and later died.

San Diego Project Heart Beat will handle AED training for the school district and coordinate maintenance of the devices. Maureen O’Connor, program manager for Project Heart Beat, told the paper that the non-profit has placed more than 5,500 AEDs in San Diego County. To date, these defibrillators have helped save at least 72 people. That is, 72 families.

Contact Certified AED Specialist Enrique Christopherson for details.

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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