Sudden cardiac arrest on the field of play: turning tragedy into a survivable event

National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Emergency Action Plan Development and Implementation in Sport

OBJECTIVE

An emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document detailing the preparations and on-site emergency response of health care professionals and other stakeholders to medical emergencies in the prehospital setting. The EAP is developed to address any type of catastrophic injury response and should not be condition specific. The objective of this National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement is to provide evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for developing and implementing an EAP for sports settings.

METHODS

These recommendations were developed by a multidisciplinary expert panel that performed (1) a comprehensive review of existing EAP evidence, (2) a modified Delphi process to define consensus recommendations, and (3) a strength of recommendation taxonomy determination for each recommendation.

RESULTS

An EAP is an essential tool designed to facilitate emergency preparedness and an efficient, coordinated emergency response during an athletic event. A comprehensive EAP should consider modes to optimize patient outcomes, the various stakeholders needed to develop the plan, the factors influencing effective implementation of the EAP, and the roles and responsibilities to ensure a structured response to a catastrophic injury.

CONCLUSIONS

These evidence-informed recommendations outline the necessary steps for emergency planning and provide considerations for the immediate management of patients with catastrophic injuries. Increasing knowledge and implementation of the EAP to manage patients with catastrophic injuries improves the overall response and decreases errors during an emergency.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Basketball and Soccer Stadiums, the Role of Automated External Defibrillators: A Review. For the BELTRAN Study (BaskEtbaLl and soccer sTadiums: Registry on Automatic exterNal defibrillators)

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during sports events has a dramatic impact on stadium-goers and the public and is often associated with poor outcomes unless treated with an automated external defibrillator (AED). Despite this, stadiums vary in AED use. This review aims to identify the risks and incidences of SCA, and the use of AEDs in soccer and basketball stadiums. A narrative review of all relevant papers was conducted. Athletes across all sports face an SCA risk of 1:50,000 athlete-years, with the greatest risk of SCA in young male athletes (1:35,000 person-years) and black male athletes (1:18,000 person-years). Africa and South America have the poorest soccer SCA outcomes at 3% and 4% survival. AED use on-site improves survival greater than defibrillation by emergency services. Many stadiums do not have AEDs implemented into medical plans and the AEDs are often unrecognisable or are obstructed. Therefore, AEDs should be used on-site, use clear signalling, have certified trained personnel, and be incorporated into stadiums' medical plans.

Primary Care Considerations for the Baseball Athlete

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarize current guidance and best practices surrounding non-orthopedic medical concerns in baseball.

RECENT FINDINGS

Discussion of COVID19-related practice changes pertaining to the prevention and screening of communicable respiratory illness, concussion protocol updates, the enhanced role of a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals. Prevention, appropriate screening, and early identification remain cornerstones of effective primary care both within the general population as well as for the baseball athlete.

Bystander interventions and survival after exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the provision of bystander interventions and rates of survival after exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library and grey literature sources were searched from inception to November/December 2020.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Observational studies assessing a population of exercise-related SCA (out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occurred during exercise or within 1 hour of cessation of activity), where bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and/or automated external defibrillator (AED) use were reported, and survival outcomes were ascertained.

METHODS

Among all included studies, the median (IQR) proportions of bystander CPR and bystander AED use, as well as median (IQR) rate of survival to hospital discharge, were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 29 studies were included in this review, with a median study duration of 78.7 months and a median sample size of 91. Most exercise-related SCA patients were male (median: 92%, IQR: 86%-96%), middle-aged (median: 51, IQR: 39-56 years), and presented with a shockable arrest rhythm (median: 78%, IQR: 62%-86%). Bystander CPR was initiated in a median of 71% (IQR: 59%-87%) of arrests, whereas bystander AED use occurred in a median of 31% (IQR: 19%-42%) of arrests. Among the 19 studies that reported survival to hospital discharge, the median rate of survival was 32% (IQR: 24%-49%). Studies which evaluated the relationship between bystander interventions and survival outcomes reported that both bystander CPR and AED use were associated with survival after exercise-related SCA.

CONCLUSION

Exercise-related SCA occurs predominantly in males and presents with a shockable ventricular arrhythmia in most cases, emphasising the importance of rapid access to defibrillation. Further efforts are needed to promote early recognition and a rapid bystander response to exercise-related SCA.

Sudden cardiac death in sports: could we save Pheidippides?

Hereditary diseases under the age of 35 are the most common underlying heart disease, leading to sudden cardiac death (SCD) in competitive sports, while in older people, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause. The following preventive measures are recommended: (a) The pre-participation cardiovascular screening, (b) the genetic testing, (c) the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), (d) the prohibition of doping in sports, (e) the prevention of 'exercise-induced' cardiac complications, (f) the reduction of high-risk factors for CAD, and (g) the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cost-effectiveness of the electrocardiograms in the pre-participation screening programs remains questionable. Genetic testing is recommended in borderline cases and positive family history. Athletes with ICD can, under certain conditions, participate in competitive sports. Excessive endurance exercise appears to harm the endothelium, promotes inflammatory processes and leads to fibrosis in the myocardium, and calcium deposition in the coronary vessels. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if cardiopulmonary resuscitation is performed and a defibrillator is immediately used. Thus, equipping all fields with automatic external defibrillators are recommended.

Adaptations to Protect Sideline Providers as They Respond to Sudden Cardiac Arrest During Sars-CoV-2

ABSTRACT

The 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has dramatically changed the sports landscape, compelling sports medical providers to adapt to evolving scientific discoveries and adopt ever-changing guidelines that protect our athletes, ourselves, and our staff. To best serve our athletes, providers need to be proactive and anticipate potential complications in providing care for athletes as athletic events resume.

Accessibility of automatic external defibrillators and survival rate of people with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review of real-world studies

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between the accessibility of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and the survival rate of patients who have out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

METHODS

The systematic review was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews. We searched the Chinese and English literature databases from 2009 to 2019. Study selection and data collection were conducted by three reviewers. One-month survival rates of OHCA with different AEDs accessibility were estimated using meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Overall 16 studies with 55,537 participants were included. The overall one-month survival rate for OHCA was 27.4%. The one-month survival rate was 35.2% for people receiving AEDs within 5 min, 36.6% between 5 min to 10 min, and 28.4% for longer than 10 min. By distance between the location of the AEDs and the location of the cardiac arrest, the one-month survival rate was 37.1% for those ≤100 m, 22.0% for 100 m-200 m, and 12.8% for >200 m, respectively. The one-month survival rate was 39.3% in schools, sports venues and airports compared with 23.5% in other sites. The number of AEDs allocation was positively correlated, while the time and distance were negatively correlated with the one-month survival rate adjusted for other factors, but they were all non-significant correlations.

CONCLUSION

The improvement of accessibility of AEDs may increase the survival rate of OHCA and the survival rate may be higher in playgrounds, airports, and schools equipped with AEDs. However, the strength of evidence was limited by the considerably heterogeneity of included studies. Verification of these findings in further studies is warranted.

Immediate Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation to Sudden Cardiac Arrest During Sports is Associated with Improved Survival-a Video Analysis

Background

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during sports can be the first symptom of yet undetected cardiovascular conditions. Immediate chest compressions and early defibrillation offer SCA victims the best chance of survival, which requires prompt bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Aims

To determine the effect of rapid bystander CPR to SCA during sports by searching for and analyzing videos of these SCA/SCD events from the internet.

Methods

We searched images.google.com, video.google.com, and YouTube.com, and included any camera-witnessed non-traumatic SCA during sports. The rapidity of starting bystander chest compressions and defibrillation was classified as < 3, 3–5, or > 5 min.

Results

We identified and included 29 victims of average age 27.6 ± 8.5 years. Twenty-eight were males, 23 performed at an elite level, and 18 participated in soccer. Bystander CPR < 3 min (7/29) or 3–5 min (1/29) and defibrillation < 3 min was associated with 100% survival. Not performing chest compressions and defibrillation was associated with death (14/29), and > 5 min delay of intervention with worse outcome (death 4/29, severe neurologic dysfunction 1/29).

Conclusions

Analysis of internet videos showed that immediate bystander CPR to non-traumatic SCA during sports was associated with improved survival. This suggests that immediate chest compressions and early defibrillation are crucially important in SCA during sport, as they are in other settings. Optimal use of both will most likely result in survival. Most videos showing recent events did not show an improvement in the proportion of athletes who received early resuscitation, suggesting that the problem of cardiac arrest during sports activity is poorly recognized.

FIFA Sudden Death Registry (FIFA-SDR): a prospective, observational study of sudden death in worldwide football from 2014 to 2018

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the underlying causes and regional patterns of sudden death in football (soccer) players worldwide to inform and improve existing screening and prevention measures.

METHODS

From 2014 to 2018 cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD), survived sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and traumatic sudden death were recorded by media monitoring (Meltwater), a confidential web-based data platform and data synchronisation with existing national Sudden Death Registries (n=16). Inclusion criteria were met when sudden death occurred during football-specific activity or up to 1 hour afterwards. Death during other activities was excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 617 players (mean age 34±16 years, 96% men) with sudden death were reported from 67 countries; 142 players (23%) survived. A diagnosis by autopsy or definite medical reports was established in 211 cases (34%). The leading cause in players >35 years was coronary artery disease (76%) and in players ≤35 years was sudden unexplained death (SUD, 22%). In players ≤35 years the leading cause of SCD varied by region: cardiomyopathy in South America (42%), coronary artery anomaly in North America (33%) and SUD in Europe (26%). Traumatic sudden death including commotio cordis occurred infrequently (6%). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) resulted in a survival rate of 85% with the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) compared with 35% without.

CONCLUSIONS

Regional variation in SCD aetiology should be verified by expansion of national registries and uniform autopsy protocols. Immediate access to an AED at training and competition sites, as well as CPR training for players, coaches and staff members, is needed to improve survival from SCA.

Addressing harm in moral case deliberation: the views and experiences of facilitators

BACKGROUND

In healthcare practice, care providers are confronted with decisions they have to make, directly affecting patients and inevitably harmful. These decisions are tragic by nature. This study investigates the role of Moral Case Deliberation (MCD) in dealing with tragic situations. In MCD, caregivers reflect on real-life dilemmas, involving a choice between two ethical claims, both resulting in moral damage and harm. One element of the reflection process is making explicit the harm involved in the choice. How harmful are our decisions? We investigated how facilitators of MCD experience the importance of addressing harm in MCD and what participants learn from reflecting on harm.

METHODS

The study was qualitative, focusing on the views and experiences of the facilitators of MCD. Semi-structured interviews (N = 12) were conducted with facilitators of MCD. The research focuses on the subjective experiences of facilitators. Grounded Theory was used for analysis.

RESULTS

The results show two main categories. The first concerns the awareness of tragedy. Within this category, five themes were discerned: making explicit that there is no solution, visualizing consequences, uncovering pain, focusing on emotion, and exploring perspectives on harm. The second category concerns the support for healthcare professionals in dealing with the tragedy of the choices they face. In this category, five themes came forward: acknowledging, offering comfort, managing harm, consideration through dialogue and repairing harm.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that addressing harm in MCD in tragic situations provides an important moral learning opportunity for participants. By formulating and becoming aware of harm, MCD aids healthcare professionals in the task they are faced with, namely making difficult and painful choices. MCD helps healthcare professionals to repair moral damage, making clear at the same time that harm cannot be undone.

Sudden cardiac arrest in sports: a video analysis

Objectives

Information about sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in sports arises from registries, insurance claims and various reports. Analysing video footage of SCA during sports for scientific purposes has scarcely been done. The objective of this study was to examine videotaped SCA in athletes to better understand the mechanisms of SCA.

Methods

Publicly available online video databases were searched for videos displaying SCA in athletes.

Results

Thirty-five online videos (26 from professional and 9 from amateur sport; 34 male victims) were obtained. Twenty-one events resulted in survival and 14 in sudden cardiac death. Level of physical activity prior to SCA was assessable in 28 videos; 19 events occurred during low-intensity, 6 during moderate-intensity and 3 during high-intensity activity. SCA predominately occurred during low-intensity compared with both moderate-intensity and high-intensity activities (p<0.01). In 26/35 videos, it was possible to observe if resuscitation was provided. Resuscitation was carried out in 20 cases; cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) alone (8 cases), CPR+defibrillation (10), cardiac thump (1) or shock from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (1). Thirteen of the 20 cases with resuscitation received an intervention within 1 min after collapse. Survival was high when intervention occurred within 1 min (12/13) compared with those who received delayed (3/5) or no intervention (1/6). Associated signs of SCA such as agonal respirations and seizure-like movements were observed in 66% of the cases.

Conclusions

SCA during sport most often occurred during low-intensity activity. Prompt intervention within 1 min demonstrated a high survival rate and should be the standard expectation for witnessed SCA in athletes.