Category: News

In the future, the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and the defibrillator will be able to do more than they do today. In time it will be possible, with the help of artificial intelligence, to say more about the condition of the resuscitated patient. Jos Thannhauser is affiliated with the Radboudumc and will received his PhD for his research on the use of AI in the AED and defibrillator. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) involves alternating chest compressions and ventilations. Thannhauser: “During these breaths, a ‘smart’ defibrillator can calculate the ideal moment for a shock: immediately or, on the contrary, continue chest compressions for longer?” Research into the effectiveness of such an algorithm on the outcome of a resuscitation is ongoing in Italy. “My dissertation shows which requirements such an algorithm must meet so that it can actually be applied in practice. For example, the electrodes of the defibrillator must always be stuck to the patient in the same way,” explains Thannhauser. The ultimate goal is to build these algorithms into AEDs and defibrillators.

https://www.radboudumc.nl/en/news-items/2021/ai-helps-the-defibrillator-think

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), particular among elite footballers, has attracted much attention in recent times. In total, 118 football-related SCD were identified, a crude mortality rate of 0.41 per 100,000 population. All fatalities were males and the mean age was 35.5 years ± 10.4. Those aged 40-49 years recorded the highest mortality rate (0.67/100,000), three times the risk of those aged 50-59 years (RR = 3.1; 95%CI:1.5-6.4). Those aged 30-39 recorded the highest age-specific proportional mortality rate (0.86/1000 deaths). The highest risk occurred while playing football (n = 97; 82.2%), with another 15% of deaths (n = 18) occurring within 1 h of play. Almost all fatalities (n = 113; 95.8%) occurred during participation in recreational football. Conclusions: This study has identified football-related SCD most commonly occurs during recreational football among males aged 30-49 years. It is recommended males of this age participating in recreational football be encouraged to seek pre-participation heart health checks. Given the value of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in responding to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, future research should explore the feasibility and effectiveness of AEDs in preventing football-related SCD in Turkey including training of first responders in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED use.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34684142/

Swedish specialized drone services company successfully controlled the delivery of an automated external defibrillator (AED) from a distance of 800 kilometres – and to an entirely different country. The 1.6 km drone delivery of an AED flew a five-minute route to Helsinki, Finland, but was controlled by technicians 800KM away in Gothenburg, Sweden. The mission was the first UAV delivery of an AED piloted from a different country, and one of the few de facto cross-border drone operations in the European Union.

 

 

https://youtu.be/ukW18fJUaIo

Timely CPR on cardiac arrest patients with known or suspected COVID-19 should take precedence over resuscitators donning personal protective equipment (PPE), the American Heart Association (AHA) outlined in a guidance update. In resuscitation of adults and children, the healthcare provider is now instructed to give rapid chest compressions and to defibrillate as soon as possible without delay for application of masks or other PPE. “Delays due to mask retrieval may increase the risk of death for the patient from delayed CPR while providing little benefit to the provider,” according to the latest interim guidance. This is a departure from the initial COVID-specific guidance the AHA put out in March 2020, when the pandemic first took hold in the U.S. The older recommendation was that caregivers wear PPE before beginning any procedures on people with known or suspected COVID-19 and performing aerosol-generating procedures, such as CPR, in isolation rooms.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/emergencymedicine/emergencymedicine/95038

Medical staff rushed across the pitch with a defibrillator after being alerted by the referee and two Tottenham players and the game was stopped for a total of 24 minutes. Tottenham’s Eric Dier alerts a medic about someone in the crowd with a possible medical problem during an English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, Sunday Oct. 17, 2021.  The Newcastle fan who required medical treatment during Sunday’s Premier League match against Tottenham is now “stable and responsive”, the club has said. “The club would like to thank fans for their swift actions in raising the alarm and praise those who provided immediate chest compressions, as well as thanking the on-site medical professionals who swiftly administered emergency treatment using a defibrillator located close to the incident.”

 

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-vs-tottenham-suspended-heart-attack-supporter-fan-doctor-cpr-defibrillator-1253893

TWO Northern Ireland women have won charity awards for their outstanding efforts in supporting heart disease patients and raising money for life saving heart research. Dr Susan Connolly, a Consultant Cardiologist in the Western Trust, was named Healthcare Hero while Lisa Brown, a heart failure patient from Magherafelt, was named Innovative Fundraiser at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) UK’s Heart Hero Awards.

 

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2021/10/01/news/two-northern-ireland-women-win-accolades-at-the-british-heart-foundation-hero-awards-2464546/

Many nurses will be familiar with the defibrillator on a resuscitation trolley in hospitals but may be less confident to use one as part of a resuscitation attempt outside of the hospital setting. This article, the second in a four-part series on basic life support, describes how to use an automated external defibrillator. More than 30,000 people in Britain every year have a cardiac arrest in the community (British Heart Foundation, 2014) – 73% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happened in private locations (at home or in care homes) and 27% occurred in a public place.

This series provides an update on basic life support for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and adheres to Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) guidance by Perkins et al (2021). In the UK, there are no legal restrictions on using an AED. A rescuer, whether a trained first aider or an untrained member of the public, who has acted to the best of their ability to help a person in cardiac arrest, should not be sued when using an AED, no matter what the outcome.

In this study, research on pre-EMS services was reviewed.  Existing studies on AED locations often consider that these devices are placed at fixed locations using different modeling techniques, such as coverage models, and people have to find them and get them to the scene of emergencies. However, one promising way of using these devices for emergency response is mobile AEDs. In this setup, AEDs can be delivered to the emergency scene by different modes of transport (e.g., drones or taxis). The review recommends wider use of drones for pickup and delivery of all kinds of medical equipment to the scene of emergencies, especially to areas that have less stationary equipment or to mountainous regions that are harder to reach.

The benefits of using drones, potentially together with logistics and service design, is a research area widely open for further investigation.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10100-021-00769-y

The aim of this study is to analyze the way and correctness of use of automated external defibrillators placed in public spaces in Polish cities. The data analyzed 120 cases of use of automated external defibrillators, placed in public spaces. The predominant location of AED use is in public transportation facilities, and the injured party is the traveler. AED use in non-hospital settings is more common in male victims aged 50–60 years. Findings: The documentation that forms the basis of the emergency medical services intervention needs to be refined. There is no mention of resuscitation performed by a witness of an event or of the use of an AED. In addition, Poland lacks the legal basis for maintaining a register of automated external defibrillators. There is a need to develop appropriate documents to determine the process of reporting by the owners of the use of AEDs in out-of-hospital conditions (OHCA).

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9892/htm

As a direct result of devastating statistics, the #DefibsSaveLives campaign has launched an education-based advocacy and campaign that serves areas all over the world. This critical work equips communities with the education, tools and resources necessary to implement the chain of survival during SCA in the public and private sectors.

 

https://www.heartrhythmalliance.org/aa/uk/defibs-save-lives