Latest news with #defibrillators
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Athlete's bid to become youngest woman to run length of UK in 20 days
A 20-year-old athlete from Bradford is bidding to become the youngest woman to run the length of the UK in 20 days. Ellie Horrocks, who already holds a Guinness World Record for completing 8,321 chest-to-floor burpees in 24 hours, has announced her next challenge Project 20-20-20. The endurance event will see Ms Horrocks run from John O'Groats to Land's End in just 20 days, clocking up around 44 miles per day. She set off on the 880-mile journey on Friday. She is aiming to raise £30,000 to buy 20 defibrillators, which she will place in UK gyms across the country, and to fund her challenge. Her GoFundMe fundraiser has already hit over £15,000. She said: 'I chose defibs as, as much as I don't want the machines to be used in the first they need to be used they will potentially save someone's life and keep a family together for longer. I've had investigations on my heart for the past couple of years due to an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) I had a triathlon event. 'I have realised how important it is to have defibs close by. I want to buy as many as possible, the more defibs I buy the more lives we save.' Ms Horrocks, a qualified CrossFit coach and triathlete, found scar tissue and inverted T-waves on her ECG, a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. She added: ' Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere. Only 8.3 per cent of those 85,783 out-of-hospital cases in England in 2023 received a defibrillator. I want to change that'. Her father Michael will be supporting her along the way, and Ms Horrocks was fuelled on the first night of her challenge by his spaghetti bolognese. Speaking in a Youtube video describing her new challenge, Ms Horrocks said: 'My dad always used to say to me if you're living in my house you've got to do sport twice a week, so I went into cheerleading and did swimming lessons. Swimming lessons was were I found my love for sport.' Referring to how she discovered she had scarring on her heart, she said: 'They were doing this thing called cardiac risk in the young and everyone was coming out saying my heart's fine. I went in and they said 'oh Ellie sit down for me', I was bricking it thinking something was wrong. 'My T waves were upside down...I had to go and have tests. They basically said you can't do sport if it carries on getting that in my head when you're training is pretty tough.' She said that the hardest part of her John O'Groats to Lands End challenge would probably be if she gets any injuries, but mentally she would be fine on the over 880-mile journey.
Medscape
6 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Future Shock: Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death Is Possible
For patients with certain cardiovascular conditions and risk factors, sudden cardiac arrest is more than a theoretical concern. But over the past 25 years, the development of various types of defibrillators — at-home, implantable, wearable — can give the immediate shock needed if a patient at high risk goes into ventricular arrythmia. The approach is saving lives, but not enough; implantable devices have complications and most wearable devices can't be worn all the time. Stories of 'if only' tragedies abound, like that of patients who suffered sudden cardiac death while in the shower, their wearable device hanging inches away on the hook of the bathroom door. Cardiologists who study sudden cardiac death say closing the gap is possible, with attention to several critical shortcomings. Determining Risk The first, and most important, area for improvement is understanding of who is likely to experience a sudden cardiac event. About 80% of sudden cardiac arrests globally are related to coronary artery disease, said Eloi Marijon, MD, a cardiovascular and cardiac electrophysiology specialist at the European Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, France, who coauthored a 2023 report of a Lancet Commission calling for multidisciplinary action to reduce the global burden of sudden cardiac death. But the number of patients with the condition who eventually have an arrest is low, said Kumar Narayanan, MD, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Medicover Hospitals in Hyderabad, India, and a coauthor of the Lancet Commission document. 'As of now, we do not have good tools to screen and identify those people,' said Narayanan. 'We need much better prediction, which will translate to better prevention.' (A related story on Medscape Medical News looks at sudden cardiac arrest in people with no history of heart problems.) Patients with 'advanced markers of damage' — such as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or a high fibrotic burden and certain characteristics of fibrosis — are at highest risk, he said. Acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting also can raise risk temporarily. In fact, risk is 'dynamic,' varying over time, he said, making predicting arrest particularly challenging. Although Narayanan calls current prediction methods 'imperfect,' known risk factors are helping cardiologists provide appropriate patients with a growing selection of devices to deliver shocks when and where an arrest occurs. Home Is Where the Heart Stops Having an automated external defibrillator (AED) at home, where most arrests happen, has been an option for patients at risk since the 1980s. But studies of home AEDs have shown mixed results. A 2013 study found the use of AEDs at home by laypeople to be safe and effective, leading to the survival of two thirds of patients who received defibrillation. But a 2008 randomized controlled study found no benefit from home AEDs over cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by emergency medical services in high-risk patients. The value of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for patients who have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction has been shown in studies since the late 1990s. Current guidelines from American and European groups recommend ICDs for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest and death in these patients. In both guidelines, recommendations are class 1A, indicating strong support by high-quality evidence of a clear benefit. ICDs are usually a permanent solution, but not a perfect one, said Marijon, a cardiovascular and cardiac electrophysiology specialist at the European Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, France, and a coauthor of the Lancet Commission report. 'An ICD for life has a 100% chance of complications,' Marijon said. Studies show ICDs may incorrectly administer shocks when there is no arrest, and intravascular leads may fail or become infected, requiring surgical intervention. Efforts are underway to improve these devices, but industry and researchers should collaborate to develop models that protect patients yet have fewer complications, he added. Newer options for patients at high risk include cardiac resynchronization therapy, which involves the implantation of a biventricular pacemaker, and catheter ablation, which can correct certain arrythmias associated with risk for sudden cardiac arrest, although its ability to prevent arrest is unclear. Wear That Defibrillator For patients who have a transiently high risk for arrest after acute myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass grafting or who are waiting for ICD implantation, wearable cardioverter-defibrillators are an option. LifeVest, a wearable device for sudden cardiac arrest that detects ventricular tachyarrhythmias and administers a shock to correct them, was first tested in the WEARIT and BIROAD studies, as reported in 2004. Those studies showed a beneficial effect in treating arrests. But when LifeVest was assessed in patients who had experienced a recent myocardial infarction in a 2018 major randomized controlled trial, the difference between it and regular care was not significantly different. However, a later analysis of the 2018 trial data showed that LifeVest was effective, both statistically and clinically, in patients who used it as intended. Questions of effectiveness aside, using the vest as intended has proven difficult for patients. Compliance issues have dogged the ability of wearable devices to prevent sudden cardiac arrest. 'It's the Achilles heel for all of them,' said Emile Daoud, MD, an electrophysiologist at the TriHealth Heart and Vascular Institute in Cincinnati. 'The question is not whether they work; the science of defibrillation we have figured out pretty well. Acceptance is really the problem.' False alarms, inappropriate shocks, and discomfort are frequent complaints with LifeVest, which is the only commercially available wearable cardioverter-defibrillator. New devices have been designed to improve compliance. The ASSURE wearable device has been shown to have a low rate of false alarms. Jewel, a lightweight wearable cardioverter-defibrillator, uses a patch placed over the heart and a box worn on the side of the torso to monitor cardiac activity and restore normal function. Unlike other wearable products, it can be worn in the shower and during exercise or sleep, which can improve compliance and avoid tragedies like the sudden cardiac arrest in the shower, said John Hummel, MD, an electrophysiologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, who was the principal investigator for a 2024 study of the device. Next Generation Technology will help improve these devices, according to Narayanan and Marijon, and the quality of life and survival of patients at high risk. Recent advances in drug therapy for heart failure and ischemia should also help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, according to the Lancet Commission report. With aging populations and higher rates of coronary artery disease, all medical measures — better screening and diagnosis of cardiac diseases, improved treatments, more AEDs in homes and public places, and widespread use of implantable and wearable cardioverter-defibrillators — must be brought to bear, the report stated. 'We need some disruptive innovations in prediction and prevention,' said Narayanan, who points to artificial intelligence and machine learning as showing particular promise to better diagnose the underlying conditions and better predict the risk of arrest. But medical advances are not enough. The Lancet Commission report urges international research and collaboration, as well as awareness among the public and policymakers. 'Governments could do more,' said Simone Savastano, MD, a cardiologist at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, Italy. 'If you work with children or young men and women, you can raise a generation that is aware and is more keen to help a cardiac arrest patient.' Daoud reported receiving consulting fees or honoraria from Biosense-Webster, AltaThera, and OSU EP Section Educational conferences; he is the chief medical officer of S4 Medical and he has received fees from the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Hummelreported receiving consulting fees from Medtronic, Volta Medical, S4 Medical, Abbott Medical, and Element Science. Marijon disclosed receiving grants from Abbott, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, MicroPort, and Zoll; consulting fees from Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Zoll, and Abbott; and payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers' bureaus, manuscript writing, or educational events from Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Zoll, and Abbott. Narayanan and Savastano reported no relevant financial conflicts of interest.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Appeal against York council decision to block help hubs
The company behind plans for five digital help hubs in York city centre offering free wi-fi, touchscreen maps and defibrillators has appealed a decision to block their hoped to install information points in Parliament Street, St Sampson's Square, Davygate and in April council planning officials refused the plans over their proximity to historic buildings and their impact on pedestrians and public advertising firm said thought had been given to the placement of the hubs and it had been open to changing locations if needed. The appeal is open for public comments until 10 July. Plans for the hubs, designed to replace public phone boxes, were submitted to the council in would have featured a 7.1ft (218cm) screen on one side for advertising with a 2.6ft (81cm) touchscreen and public phone on the promised facilities included charging ports powered by solar including Make It York and the York Disability Rights Forum, said the hubs would clutter streets and impact crowds during large events like York Christmas Market. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Father made OBE for defibrillator campaign after 12-year-old son's death
A father whose 12-year-old son died following a cardiac arrest has been made an OBE after setting up a foundation which has saved more than 80 lives by providing defibrillators. Mark King's son Oliver suffered a cardiac arrest during a swimming lesson at school in Liverpool in 2011 and died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome. The Oliver King Foundation has since given out 7,000 defibrillators, and Mr King's campaigning led to the Government ensuring every state school in England has access to one of the life-saving machines. He said: 'Our Ollie was only with us for 12 years but he never let us down once and this is us not letting his name down.' Mr King, 63, said when he first found out he was to be included in the King's Birthday Honours he thought the letter had gone to the wrong address. He said: 'I'm not one for awards, I just want to march on. I'm just a dad, that's it, I'm a dad. 'But, for an OBE to come through – I was cartwheeling in the garden!' He said Oliver was 'very sporty', 'always had a football under his arm' and was about to sign for Everton, but unknown to the family he had a genetic condition passed down from his father which led to his cardiac arrest. Mr King is working to set up a centre to provide testing for all children to see if they have the gene. He said: 'The morning that he had his cardiac arrest he was swimming. 'If you have this genetic condition that's the worst thing you can do… because when you go in the water, you know that little shock, it's an adrenalin rush, and that can send you into cardiac arrest. 'Unfortunately for us, that happened to our Ol.' Since the foundation was set up in 2012, Mr King has personally delivered all the defibrillators to schools, businesses and sporting venues as far north as Stornoway and as far south as Portsmouth. Mr King said 84 lives had been saved with the defibrillators, including a child as young as four. He said: 'When you get the emails through off the parents, I still get the same feeling as though it's the first one. I know it's not a tally but a life has been saved – maybe our Oliver's life would have been saved if someone would have done what we're doing now.' He said the lives had been saved in Oliver's name, adding: 'Not mine, I'm only carrying his torch.' The foundation, which also provides training to use the machines, has received support from former Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher, as well as politicians including Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle, Lord Mike Storey and Lord Stuart Polak. Mr King, of Childwall, Liverpool, said he had dealt with six prime ministers during his time as a campaigner. He said: 'It's like setting a business up – you could fail or you could march on. In this particular case we marched on and got stronger and stronger and stronger. I don't have a reverse gear.' He said he plans to continue his campaign and is calling for a change in the law which would see defibrillators required in all public buildings, in the same way as fire extinguishers.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
OBE for dad who ran life-saving defibrillator campaign after son's death
A father whose 12-year-old son died following a cardiac arrest has been made an OBE after setting up a foundation which has saved more than 80 lives by providing King's son Oliver suffered a cardiac arrest during a swimming lesson at school in Liverpool in 2011 and died from sudden arrhythmic death Oliver King Foundation has since given out 7,000 defibrillators, and Mr King's campaigning led to the government ensuring every state school in England has access to one of the life-saving machines."Our Ollie was only with us for 12 years but he never let us down once and this is us not letting his name down," he said. Mr King, 63, said when he first found out he was to be included in the King's Birthday Honours he thought the letter had gone to the wrong address."I'm not one for awards, I just want to march on. I'm just a dad, that's it, I'm a dad."But, for an OBE to come through - I was cartwheeling in the garden!"He said Oliver was "very sporty", "always had a football under his arm" and was about to sign for Everton, but unknown to the family he had a genetic condition passed down from his father which led to his cardiac King is working to set up a centre to provide testing for all children to see if they have the gene."The morning that he had his cardiac arrest he was swimming," he said."If you have this genetic condition that's the worst thing you can do... because when you go in the water, you know that little shock, it's an adrenaline rush, and that can send you into cardiac arrest."Unfortunately for us, that happened to our Ol." Since the foundation was set up in 2012, Mr King has personally delivered all the defibrillators to schools, businesses and sporting venues as far north as Stornoway and as far south as King said 84 lives had been saved by the devices, including a child as young as four."When you get the emails through off the parents, I still get the same feeling as though it's the first one," he said."I know it's not a tally but a life has been saved - maybe our Oliver's life would have been saved if someone would have done what we're doing now."He said the lives had been saved in Oliver's name, adding: "Not mine, I'm only carrying his torch." The foundation, which also provides training to use the machines, has received support from former Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher, as well as politicians including Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle, Lord Mike Storey and Lord Stuart King, of Childwall, Liverpool, said he had dealt with six prime ministers during his time as a said: "It's like setting a business up - you could fail or you could march on. In this particular case we marched on and got stronger and stronger and stronger. I don't have a reverse gear."He said he plans to continue his campaign and is calling for a change in the law which would see defibrillators required in all public buildings, in the same way as fire extinguishers. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
