Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Intercollegiate Athletics

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Sudden Cardiac Arrestin Intercollegiate
Athletics
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Sudden Cardiac Arrestin Intercollegiate Athletics

• Are you prepared?

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 Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of
death in exercising young athletes

• Sudden cardiac death occurs in 143,000 NCAA
  student-athletes per year
• The chance of survival decreases by ?10 every
  minute after collapse
• The average EMS response time is 6-8 minutes
• The single greatest factor affecting survival is
  the time from cardiac arrest to defibrillation
  (shock)
• AEDs improve survival through early
  defibrillation

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Screening

• Student-athletes are required to have a
  pre-participation physical examination.
• The traditional screen includes
• History (chest pain or passing out with exercise)
• Physical exam (blood pressure, heart sounds)
• Some schools perform EKG (electrocardiogram) to
  increase detection of athletes with at-risk
  conditions
• Appropriate experience and resources are
  important for EKG screening to be utilized
  effectively
• Insert institutional screening policy here if
  applicable

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Emergency Planning

• Written Emergency Action Plan for SCA
• Emergency communication system
• Trained responders in CPR/AED
• AED locations all staff awareness
• Access to early defibrillation (lt3-5 min
  collapse to shock)
• Practice and review of the response plan at
  least annually
• Integrate AEDS into local EMS system

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Emergency Action Plan 

• Essential elements of an emergency action plan
  include
• (insert specific institutional plans for all of
  the following)
• Methods of communication
• Personnel requiring CPR and AED training
• Locations of AEDs for early defibrillation
• Practice and review of the response plan

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Chain of Survival
Early Recognition
Early CPR
Early AED
Improved Survival
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Recognition of SCA

• SCA should be suspected in any athlete who is
  collapsed and unresponsive
• SCA should be suspected in any non-traumatic
  collapse
• Brief seizure-like activity is common after
  collapse from SCA
• Seizure SCA until proven otherwise
• Occasional gasping is not normal breathing think
  SCA

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Early CPR

• CPR can double or triple the chance of survival
• lt 1/3 of SCA victims receive bystander CPR
• 2010 AHA guidelines
• Hands-only CPR
• Chest compressions
• Push hard, push fast (100 per minute)

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AEDs in Sport

• AEDs provide a means of early defibrillation and
  the potential for effective management of SCA
• Athletes
• Students
• Staff
• Spectators
• Coaches
• Officials
• Visitors

2007
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The Collapsed and Unresponsive Athlete Management
of SCA

• Suspect SCA in any collapsed and unresponsive
  athlete
• An AED should be applied as soon as possible for
  rhythm analysis and shock if indicated

Drezner Heart Rhythm 2007
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 Steps in the Management of SCA 

• Recognize SCA
• Call for help / Call 9-1-1
• Begin chest compressions (CPR)
• Retrieve the AED
• Apply and use the AED as soon as possible
• Continue CPR until EMS arrives

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Resources

• Inter-Association Task Force Recommendations on
  Emergency Preparedness and Management of Sudden
  Cardiac Arrest in High School and College
  Athletic Programs A Consensus Statement.
  Journal of Athletic Training 200742(1)143158
• NCAA Health and Safety
• http//www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL
  _CONTEXT/ncaa/ncaa/academicsandathletes/persona
  lwelfare/healthandsafety/raisingawarenessofs
  uddencardiaccollapseinsports