August 19, 2008–ScienceDaily–Repeat exams using widely available and inexpensive ultrasound imaging could help identify patients at high risk for a heart attack or other adverse cardiovascular events, according to a study published in the September issue of the journal Radiology. Heart attack is one of the causes of sudden cardiac arrest.

Researchers performed ultrasound imaging on the carotid arteries of 1,268 patients who were asymptomatic but at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Of those, ultrasound determined that 574 patients had carotid artery disease, as determined by the amount of plaque built up in the two vessels that supply blood to the head and neck. Each of those patients had a second ultrasound exam six to nine months later to measure changes in the plaque lining the arteries.

August 18, 2008–Fewer than half of eligible patients in the U.S. received medical devices to shock their faulty hearts back into rhythm, though the products can cut death rates by more than one-third, a study found.

Hospitals implanted the $33,000 cardiac resynchronization therapy devices in 12.4 percent of heart failure patients, according to a survey of 34,000 cases published online in the journal Circulation. Previous studies suggest 30 percent to 50 percent of heart failure patients have conditions that make them best suited for the pacemakers, said Jonathan Piccini, a Duke University cardiologist who co-authored the paper.

August 13, 2008–REDMOND, WA–The International Space Station (ISS) is now equipped with the first automated external defibrillator (AED) in space. The AED will be available for NASA crew members should someone experience sudden cardiac arrest in space.

The ISS has utilized manual defibrillators in the past, but NASA decided to now deploy an AED because it requires less training and maintenance, better enabling astronauts to respond to a medical emergency. The small size and light weight of the device also help minimize hardware mass and volume onboard the Space Station.

NASA's Medical Operations personnel evaluated the use of the AED in zero gravity conditions aboard a NASA DC-9 test aircraft as part of developing their advanced life support use protocols.

Source: Physio-Control

August 14, 2008–MANILA, Philippines–To combat the high incidence of death by cardiac arrest in the country, a lawmaker has filed a bill seeking the mandatory teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in public and private secondary schools.

In a statement on Thursday, Alliance for Rural Concerns partylist representative Narciso Santiago III said he filed House Bill 4422 because there is a need to teach young people CPR as most cases of cardiac arrests happen at home.

The CPR is an emergency medical procedure for people whose hearts have stopped due to cardiac arrest caused by heart attack, gas poisoning, drug overdose, head injury, drowning, suffocation, and electric shock, among others.

August 6, 2008–FORT LAUDERDALE–Florida-based construction firm Moss & Associates yesterday announced a new program to deploy automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at each of its more than 30 jobsites to accelerate a life-saving response in the event of a cardiac arrest. While AEDs are increasingly being installed in public gathering places such as stadiums, shopping malls, hotels, airports, and bus terminals, their use in the workplace is just beginning to gain momentum, said Brian Trusky, Moss vice president-loss prevention. The company will consider AEDs standard safety equipment at all Moss jobsites throughout Florida and the Caribbean.

Trusky said Moss is following AHA guidelines by training job site supervisors and other personnel in the use of AEDs as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques. “We believe this investment in AED training and equipment adds a new dimension to our workplace safety program,” he said.

National Medical Association Issues White Paper on Sudden Cardiac Arrest