Stories

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been significantly higher sudden cardiac arrest incidences and lower survival rates in the U.S, according to findings presented at the hybrid Heart Rhythm 2021 meeting. The study compared “sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidence and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1 to Dec. 31, 2020) to the corresponding period in 2019 in a U.S. community.” The below is taken from Healio.com In 2019, there were 314 SCAs in Ventura County (average, 31.4 cases per month; 10-month incidence rate, 36.9 per 100,000 people) compared with 410 in 2020 (average, 41 cases per month, 30% higher than in 2019; 10-month incidence rate, 48.2 per 100,000 people; P < .001). An increase in SCA and COVID-19 also occurred in the area in December 2020. Researchers found that the proportion of SCAs with shockable rhythm declined from 25% in 2019 to 19% in 2020 (P = .05), as did survival to hospital discharge (14.7% to 8.8%; P = .01). There were no differences in proportion of SCAs with witnessed arrest (P = .2), bystander CPR (P = .1) and return of spontaneous circulation (P = .15). “SCA incidence was significantly higher and survival outcomes lower during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with evidence of overlap between the two conditions,” Chugh and colleagues wrote in the abstract. “These findings have implications for community public health and EMS response planning during the pandemic and subsequent outbreaks.”

A HUMAN chain of life support across a Cheltenham industrial park, linked by three emergency service units and a hospital ward, has saved new mum Samantha Jobe. She was about to start warming up for her workout at Crossfit121, with husband Damien and eight-week-old daughter Makayla looking on, when she collapsed. Mrs Jobe, 32, hadn’t tripped, as gym instructors first thought. Her heart had stopped and she had no pulse. Gym owner Chris Hoganand trainer Tara Smith swung into action, alternating between CPR compressions and breaths, while his wife Maria sprinted to nearby chemical company BASF. It recently bought a defibrillator, and had told other businesses in the Taunton Drive industrial estate. BASF workers Chloe Collins and Jack West ran the device back to the gym, where they successfully shocked Mrs Jobe to regain a pulse. An ambulance crew, fire brigade and a MICA unit arrived within ten minutes. They took over CPR and administered a breathing tube and blood pressure medications, to keep Mrs Jobe stable until she arrived at hospital. MICA paramedic Christine Edney said she feared the worst. “People are considered clinically brain dead after four to five minutes, so it’s really important to have that early access to CPR and defibrillation,” she said. “Any business such as gyms, hospitals, medical centres should have an automatic defibrillator. They’re not costly and they save lives.” Monash Heart cardiologists have not been able to find the cause of Mrs Jobe’s heart-stopping moment, with no family history of heart disease, she has had a defibrillator implanted — and the gym bought one last week. She has been given the all-clear by doctors to return to exercise, her husband and gym staff have imposed a ban for now. “I’m looking forward to getting back to a normal life, driving and exercising, but I’m just waiting for them to be comfortable about it,” she said. “It’s put a lot of things into perspective. They saved my life. I know how lucky I am that I will see Makayla grow up.” Written by Brigid O’Connell – Herald Sun Image: David Caird

Measuring almost two-metres tall teenager Josh Simpson looks like nothing could bring him down. But the six-foot-five Melbourne basketballer almost died mid-game six weeks ago when he suffered a cardiac arrest. Josh was running back in defence while playing for the Aberfeldie Jetts and started to feel sick before collapsing. “My vision started closing in black. So I called for a sub and I can’t remember anything after that,” Josh told 9News. Mum Jodie rushed from the sidelines along with other parents and officials to start CPR. Josh was not breathing and had no pulse. “It was pretty terrifying. To see your son laying there lifeless was really hard,” Mrs Simpson said. Off-duty nurse George Fernandes was watching his son play on another court and heard the commotion. He grabbed the stadium’s public defibrillator to administer two shocks to Josh’s chest. “Then his heart started and he came back, and that was the best feeling,” George told 9News. Once Ambulance Victoria paramedics arrived Josh, miraculously, was conscious. His sudden heart failure was caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a common but potentially deadly condition affecting the ventricles. Now less than two months later, Josh is back on court to shoot a few hoops with team-mates – and to reunite with those who brought him back from the brink. “I want to say thank you to all the people who saved my life,” he said. “The people who came and helped are very brave. Very, very brave.” More Victorians than ever before are surviving cardiac arrest, thanks in part of the use of public defibrillator units. State Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said a record 75 per cent of cardiac arrest patients shocked with a defib machine last financial year survived. That survival rate is up from 65 per cent in the year 2015 to 2016. “Every second counts where there is a cardiac arrest and the fact that we have got more publicly accessible defibrillators in our community now is making a huge amount of difference,” Minister Mikakos told 9News. Ambulance Victoria’s Tony Walker says 90 per cent of cardiac arrest sufferers will not make it – unless CPR or defibrillation is applied. “When people step in and do what they have done in Josh’s case, and others in the community, we are seeing some of the best survival rates in the world,” Mr Walker said. Mrs Simpson is now advocating for more defibrillators on hand in case of emergency. “Every sporting hall should have them. Every school should have them. The community needs to step up. We need to do this,” she told 9News. Josh echoes his mum’s call – but is also focused on getting back to the game he loves. “What runs through my mind is ‘am I going to get back to basketball, am I going to work the hard yards and get to where I need to be in basketball?’”