Report reaffirms need for defibrillators in all sport and exercise environments

The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne recently published the results of a study looking into the causes, circumstances and potential prevention of cardiac arrest in younger people.

The researchers examined hospital, ambulance and forensic data for people aged 50 years and under who had a cardiac arrest in Victoria between mid-2019 and mid-2021.

Their findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Europace and involved a review of 1,319 cases.

Baker Institute cardiologist and report co-author Dr Elizabeth Paratz who is undertaking her PhD from 2019 on the topic ‘Optimising the genetic and forensic analysis of sudden cardiac death’, highlights that one of the most startling discoveries from the research data was that about a quarter of all people aged under 50 who died during that time period, died as a result of sudden, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

As reported by the ABC, Dr Paratz notes "cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death among young people. To put that in perspective, it's more than five times the road toll in that same age group."

Researchers found that, in younger people, cardiac arrest was more likely to be the result of a genetic mutation and many didn't have any symptoms.

Dr Paratz adds "the traditional figure had been that, maybe, up to a third of people who have a cardiac arrest, the cardiac arrest is the first sign of trouble - but that was for all ages.

"In young people who appear outwardly healthy, that figure was even more frightening - it was 77%."

The study also found younger people who experienced an unexpected cardiac arrest disproportionately did so while exercising.

However, Dr Paratz is not suggesting that people should avoid exercise because physical activity is also good for heart health. Instead she reaffirms that for environments in which people exercise, a defibrillator should be available along with people trained in CPR to give people a greater chance of survival.

Across Australia, sporting clubs and environments in which people exercise have been aware of the need to have an AED available for a number of years.

Back in 2017, both NSW and Victorian Governments allocated funding to assist sporting clubs to purchase and maintain AEDs with the aim to help save the lives of players, volunteers or spectators who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest.

The 2017/18 NSW Budget allocated $4 million over four years to assist sporting clubs across NSW as part of the Local Sport Defibrillator Program.

In 2017, the Victorian Government opened the fourth round of its Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program, offering Victorian sports clubs another chance to apply for a new AED at their facility. Previous editions of the Program saw almost 900 defibrillators provided to Victorian sports clubs.

A statement from Sport and Recreation Victoria in 2017 advised “in a life threatening sudden cardiac arrest – every second counts, and bystanders play a critical role.

“Without a defibrillator close by, the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest is somewhere between two and five per cent. When a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes, the rate of survival can rise to 70%.”

In July 2019, St John Ambulance advised “sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of fatality in sport and recreation settings worldwide. Many cases of SCD amongst sport settings occur from previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, and often there is no warning signs or symptoms prior to cardiac arrest. Couple undiagnosed cardiac disease with rigorous exercise and it’s no wonder that SCD is the leading cause of death amongst sport settings. Improved survival requires a rapid response from bystanders.

“To help prevent sudden cardiac death, there is a growing focus on ensuring the availability of automated external defibrillators (AED) in sport settings. Why is installing defibrillators so important? To put it simply, early defibrillation is part of the four steps in the chain of survival, without this crucial part of the process, the chance of survival following a cardiac arrest is significantly low.”

In 2021, Vicsport partnered with AED Authority Australia in a move to provide sports clubs with better access to AEDs and improve emergency response plans to help save the lives of participants in their community.

Vicsport noted that each year in Australia, about 33,000 people have a cardiac arrest out of hospital but it is estimated that as few as 5% of these people survive.

AED Authority Managing Director, Paul Klein advised “AEDs are valuable protection for athletes in all fields and their communities. Even healthy seemingly, low-risk youth can have underlying heart conditions that are triggered by strenuous activities. Making an AED part of every club’s emergency response plan can save lives.”

Images St John Ambulance (top) and AED Authority defibrillator (below).