New recommendations by the HSE on Sudden Cardiac Arrest
New recommending on Sudden Cardiac DeathThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has released an update of its progress in dealing with recommendations from the Sudden Cardiac Death Report launched earlier this year by the Minister for Health Mary Harney
The creation of a new risk assessment questionnaire for sportspeople, the devising of ‘First Responder’ schemes and the establishment of two family screening clinics for those deemed at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) are some of the progress points recommended by the HSE in the 2006 Sudden Cardiac Death Report Reducing the Risk: A Strategic Approach.
The Sudden Cardiac Death Report was launched in March 2006 by Mary Harney TD, Minister for Health and Children. The HSE has the responsibility to lead on its implementation in conjunction with interested organizations, groups and individuals.
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is defined as death due to natural causes within an hour of the onset of symptoms, in the absence of any other cause, and assumed to have a cardiac cause.
There are approximately 5,000 SCDs in Ireland annually. The majority of SCDs occur from late middle age onwards as a result of coronary heart disease. Over the past few years there has been increasing awareness of sudden death in young adults, including sudden deaths in high profile athletes.
The majority of these younger SCD cases are due to a number of pre-existing cardiac abnormalities along with infection, blunt trauma and drug use.
The SCD Report has a total of 75 recommendations of which 48 are ‘immediate’, that is requiring to be commenced by the end of 2006.
The SCD implementation group is concentrating on ensuring implementation of the 48 ‘immediate’ recommendations in the following areas: Reducing time to response (to a cardiac arrest); systematic assessment of those engaged in sports and exercise; detection and assessment of those at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death; and surveillance and audit.
An SCD implementation steering group comprising the HSE, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) has met on a number of occasions to progress the report recommendations under the chairmanship of Dr Siobhan Jennings, Consultant in Public Health Medicine. In the first phase of work the areas targeted were: responder development; SCD risk assessment in sports and exercise; work with coroners, pathologists and CSO; and addressing communication of resulting work.
Dr Jennings emphasised the importance of inter-agency cooperation on this strategy.
“While the HSE has overall responsibility for implementing the report’s recommendations, it is evident that other organisations, both statutory and non-statutory, have an important role to play and these organisations and individuals contributed immensely to the progress to date,” she said.
Progress in the four areas:
1. Reducing time to response (to a cardiac arrest):
First Responder template: This guide has been prepared to give information and advice for those planning to set up First Responder programmes.
Co-ordinators and resuscitation training personnel: 11 new HSE positions to assist in the development of priority First Responder programmes (One national pre-hospital First Responder coordinator, four HSE area pre-hospital First Responder coordinators, six pre-hospital resuscitation training officers).
Funding for the MERIT project: (HSE, PHECC) targeting training in immediate response to cardiac and trauma events for GPs and practice nurses in conjunction with ambulance personnel.
Programme through UCD Dept of General Practice.
To date, over 300 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been supplied to attending GPs.
Initiation of uniformed First Responder pilot projects such as Gardaí and fire service.
Guidance for purchasing AEDs carried out through MERIT and Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC).
Education and training standards across six levels of response from cardiac First Responder to advanced paramedic.
Development of Cardiac First Response Report (CFRR): Developed by PHECC for documenting out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in conjunction with the establishment of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest register.
Spatial analysis research by PHECC using HSE ambulance response time data to analyse demand and guide deployment of ambulance resources, minimising response times and maximizing the effectiveness of response (completed in the north west).
Agreed signage for AEDs.
2. Systematic assessment of those engaged in sports and exercise:
Risk assessment questionnaire being finalised for those contemplating participation in sports and exercise in the context of exercise being good for mental and physical wellbeing. The group offered comment/advice during the development of the GAA’s risk assessment questionnaire.
Guidelines for GPs: To assist them deal with queries about risk assessment and its follow up.
3. Detection and assessment of those at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death:
Improved toxicology response to coroners request: Applying to the case of SCD in young people, resulting in reduced time to informing and testing families as appropriate.
Ongoing analyses of Central Statistics Office (CSO) data on prevalence of sudden death in young people in Ireland.
Study of post mortem data: Investigating the causes of SCDs in Ireland in people ages under-35 (2005).
Development of protocols: Via the Coroners Society of Ireland, for coroners on informing GPs and families of SCDs.
Establishment of two SCD family screening clinics: Family Heart Screening Clinic, Mater Heart House Dublin.
The creation of a new risk assessment questionnaire for sportspeople, the devising of ‘First Responder’ schemes and the establishment of two family screening clinics for those deemed at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) are some of the progress points recommended by the HSE in the 2006 Sudden Cardiac Death Report Reducing the Risk: A Strategic Approach.
The Sudden Cardiac Death Report was launched in March 2006 by Mary Harney TD, Minister for Health and Children. The HSE has the responsibility to lead on its implementation in conjunction with interested organizations, groups and individuals.
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is defined as death due to natural causes within an hour of the onset of symptoms, in the absence of any other cause, and assumed to have a cardiac cause.
There are approximately 5,000 SCDs in Ireland annually. The majority of SCDs occur from late middle age onwards as a result of coronary heart disease. Over the past few years there has been increasing awareness of sudden death in young adults, including sudden deaths in high profile athletes.
The majority of these younger SCD cases are due to a number of pre-existing cardiac abnormalities along with infection, blunt trauma and drug use.
The SCD Report has a total of 75 recommendations of which 48 are ‘immediate’, that is requiring to be commenced by the end of 2006.
The SCD implementation group is concentrating on ensuring implementation of the 48 ‘immediate’ recommendations in the following areas: Reducing time to response (to a cardiac arrest); systematic assessment of those engaged in sports and exercise; detection and assessment of those at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death; and surveillance and audit.
An SCD implementation steering group comprising the HSE, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) has met on a number of occasions to progress the report recommendations under the chairmanship of Dr Siobhan Jennings, Consultant in Public Health Medicine. In the first phase of work the areas targeted were: responder development; SCD risk assessment in sports and exercise; work with coroners, pathologists and CSO; and addressing communication of resulting work.
Dr Jennings emphasised the importance of inter-agency cooperation on this strategy.
“While the HSE has overall responsibility for implementing the report’s recommendations, it is evident that other organisations, both statutory and non-statutory, have an important role to play and these organisations and individuals contributed immensely to the progress to date,” she said.
Progress in the four areas:
1. Reducing time to response (to a cardiac arrest):
First Responder template: This guide has been prepared to give information and advice for those planning to set up First Responder programmes.
Co-ordinators and resuscitation training personnel: 11 new HSE positions to assist in the development of priority First Responder programmes (One national pre-hospital First Responder coordinator, four HSE area pre-hospital First Responder coordinators, six pre-hospital resuscitation training officers).
Funding for the MERIT project: (HSE, PHECC) targeting training in immediate response to cardiac and trauma events for GPs and practice nurses in conjunction with ambulance personnel.
Programme through UCD Dept of General Practice.
To date, over 300 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been supplied to attending GPs.
Initiation of uniformed First Responder pilot projects such as Gardaí and fire service.
Guidance for purchasing AEDs carried out through MERIT and Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC).
Education and training standards across six levels of response from cardiac First Responder to advanced paramedic.
Development of Cardiac First Response Report (CFRR): Developed by PHECC for documenting out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in conjunction with the establishment of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest register.
Spatial analysis research by PHECC using HSE ambulance response time data to analyse demand and guide deployment of ambulance resources, minimising response times and maximizing the effectiveness of response (completed in the north west).
Agreed signage for AEDs.
2. Systematic assessment of those engaged in sports and exercise:
Risk assessment questionnaire being finalised for those contemplating participation in sports and exercise in the context of exercise being good for mental and physical wellbeing. The group offered comment/advice during the development of the GAA’s risk assessment questionnaire.
Guidelines for GPs: To assist them deal with queries about risk assessment and its follow up.
3. Detection and assessment of those at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death:
Improved toxicology response to coroners request: Applying to the case of SCD in young people, resulting in reduced time to informing and testing families as appropriate.
Ongoing analyses of Central Statistics Office (CSO) data on prevalence of sudden death in young people in Ireland.
Study of post mortem data: Investigating the causes of SCDs in Ireland in people ages under-35 (2005).
Development of protocols: Via the Coroners Society of Ireland, for coroners on informing GPs and families of SCDs.
Establishment of two SCD family screening clinics: Family Heart Screening Clinic, Mater Heart House Dublin.
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