Defibrillation News and Research

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Obstructive sleep apnea may be risk factor for sudden cardiac death

After studying the sleep characteristics of nearly 11,000 adults in an overnight sleep laboratory, Mayo Clinic researchers suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - and, in particular, the low nighttime oxygen saturation of the blood it causes - may be a risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD).

11 Nov 2008

Obstructive sleep apnea and sudden cardiac death

10 Nov 2008

Risk of sudden cardiac death highest early after attack

People who survive a heart attack face the greatest risk of dying from sudden cardiac death (SCD) during the first month after leaving the hospital, according to a long-term community study by Mayo Clinic researchers of nearly 3,000 heart attack survivors.

5 Nov 2008

Heart attack survivors at highest risk of dying in the month after leaving hospital

According to researchers in the U.S. survivors of heart attacks face the greatest risk of dying from sudden cardiac death during the first month after leaving the hospital.

5 Nov 2008

Stun guns may stimulate the heart

On the eve of the British Columbia inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski, a review of scientific data in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) finds that in some cases, stun guns may stimulate the heart in experimental models. This evidence is contrary to current views that stun guns only affect skeletal muscles.

2 May 2008

Several methods for enhancing the functioning of defibrillators in cases of heart attack

The PhD, defended by engineer Sofia Ruiz de Gauna Gutierrez at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) puts forward various methods for the elimination of interference caused by compressions and ventilations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the context of cardiac defibrillation.

26 Mar 2008

New resuscitation approach for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest associated with increased survival

Patients who had cardiac arrests outside of the hospital setting and were treated with a resuscitation approach designed to limit interruption of chest compressions, termed minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation (MICR), were more likely to survive than those patients who received standard treatments, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Mar 2008

Reducing barriers for implementation of bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation

A unified effort by the public, educators and policymakers is needed to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest by increasing the use and effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to a new statement from the American Heart Association.

16 Jan 2008

Chances of surviving a heart attack better in an airport or casino than in a U.S. hospital

According to the latest research from the United States you have a better chance of surviving a heart attack if you have it in an airport or a casino, rather than a hospital.

7 Jan 2008

For hospital patients, defibrillation delays mean lower survival

An estimated 750,000 hospitalized patients experience cardiac arrest and undergo CPR annually, and less than 30 percent of those leave the hospital alive.

3 Jan 2008

Low-volume whole-blood sensors could transform cardiac testing

University of Ulster researchers have teamed up with scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay on a project to develop low-volume whole-blood sensors that could transform point-of-care cardiac testing.

15 Oct 2007

Algorithms for defibrillators

When an adult suffers a cardiorespiratory arrest the rapid application of an electrical discharge with a defibrillator can avoid sudden death in many cases. Nevertheless, defibrillation also has its impediment or enemy: time.

3 Oct 2007

Do schools need emergency response equipment to deal with heart attacks?

A study by researchers in the U.S. has found that the incidence of heart attacks on school property is rare, and when it does occur most of the victims are adults.

29 Aug 2007

Safety gear for young athletes offers little protection from sudden death

New research has shown that the sports safety gear worn by young athletes may not give them protection from sudden death caused by a blow to the chest.

14 Nov 2006

Automated external defibrillators, reliability and clinical benefits

The FDA frequently issues safety advisories for automated external defibrillators and accessories, although the number of actual device malfunctions appears to be relatively small.

8 Aug 2006

Study to look for links between the nervous system and fatal heart rhythm

Finding out why seemingly healthy people experience ventricular fibrillation, a fatal irregular heart rhythm, could eventually lead to better methods of early detection, according to a Medical College of Georgia researcher.

22 Dec 2005

Dramatic changes in new CPR guidelines will simplify lifesaving measures

New emergency care guidelines include dramatic changes to CPR and emphasis on chest compressions, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, co-author of the 2005 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).

15 Dec 2005

Lay people can effectively use defibrillators to save the lives of cardiac arrest victims

The first large-scale study to see whether trained volunteers and lay people can use defibrillators to save the lives of cardiac arrest (CA) victims has concluded that their use by lay people is safe, and if the response time can be shortened to within eight minutes there is the potential to save the lives of 15 out of 100 people who collapse suddenly with CA.

5 Dec 2005

Faulty defibrillators may mean surgery for thousands of cardiac patients

Surgery to replace possibly faulty implanted cardiac defibrillators may now be on the cards for thousands of cardiac patients.

20 Jun 2005

Implanted devices are giving cardiologists a new view of subtle changes in a key measurement of heart health

Implanted devices intended to optimize the cardiac function of patients with heart failure have provided new insights into which patients might be at higher risk of dying suddenly from their disease, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

7 Mar 2005