Home » Health & Safety Channel » Cardiac Safety

Cardiac Safety

CPR Training for Parents: Why It's Important and What You Should Know

Nearly 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest annually.   Because cardiac arrest leads to the death of one youth athlete every three days in the United States, sports parents should know how to perform CPR and use an AED, which can significantly increase a victim's chances of survival.
Read more »
Douglas E. Abrams, J.D.
Douglas E. Abrams, J.D.

Youth Sports Heroes of the Month: Dan and Susan Farren (Rohnert Park, CA.); Ray Antonopoulos & Jeff Meisner (West Newbury, MA)

Submitted by Douglas E. Abrams, J.D. on Fri, 05/31/2013 - 13:40. | comments


In a Cal Ripkin Baseball game on April 13, eight-year-old Matthew Henry was hit in the chest by a pitch and left the batter's box on his way to first base. He collapsed after a few steps, reportedly the victim of commotio cordis ("agitation of the heart," in Latin).

The value of having trained medical personnel and an automated external defibrillator nearby was never more apparent then in this month's Youth Sports Heroes blog honoring two pairs of Good Samaritans who, in an 11-day span, saved the lives of an 8-year-old baseball player and a mom watching her son play baseball.
Read more »

Safety Comes First, No Matter Sport or Season

The winter sports season is in full swing, and spring sports are a ways off, but safety comes first, no matter what the sport or the season. Here's a sixteen-point safety checklist to keep athletes in the game.
Read more »

Many U.S. High Schools Unprepared For Cardiac Emergency

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of sudden death in exercising young athletes, but despite data showing that early defibrillation with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can save nearly two-thirds of student-athletes who suffer SCA, many U.S. high schools are not prepared to respond to an SCA or have significant deficiencies that could be improved, a new study finds.
Read more »
Brooke de Lench
Brooke de Lench

New Jersey Athletic Trainers To Hold Third Annual Sports Safety Summit

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 13:56. | comments

MomsTEAM has consistently supported athletic trainers' groups, both at the national (NATA) and state level, in their efforts to improve youth sports safety, both through education and by advocating for ATs in every high school (less than half of U.S. high schools have an AT on staff, although the percentages vary dramatically from state to state).

One of the most active athletic trainers' association at the state level is in New Jersey, which was the first state to require by law that coaches receive safety training, is among the 40 states that have enacted strong youth concussion safety laws, and has been a leader in advocating for academic accommodations for concussed student-athletes. 

Athletic trainers are essential to making youth sports as safe as it can be.  Educational programs, such as the Athletic Trainers Society of New Jersey's third annual sports safety summit on August 1, 2012 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, are important to educating health care professionals on safety issues, including concussions, heat illness, sudden cardiac death and overuse injuries.
Read more »
National Youth Sports Safety Month
National Youth Sports Safety Month

Eric Laudano (Athletic Trainer): His Quick Action Saved A Coach's Life

Submitted by National Youth Sports Safety Month on Wed, 04/18/2012 - 18:11. | comments


In recognition of April as National Youth Sports Safety Month, MomsTeam has asked 30 experts to write a blog answering two questions: first, how or why did they get into their field, and second, how have they made a difference in the life of a youth athlete in the past year.

Today, we hear from Eric Laudano, Head Athletic Trainer and Manager of Sports Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a MomsTeam expert.

By Eric Laudano, M.H.S, ATC

It's not every day that an athletic trainer gets to save a life, but that's exactly what happened when he was callled to help a college coach lying unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse in the parking lot outside the school's basketball center.
Read more »
National Youth Sports Safety Month
National Youth Sports Safety Month

Vincent Burke (Physical Therapist): Recognized Signs Of Athlete's Life-Threatening Heart Condition

Submitted by National Youth Sports Safety Month on Sat, 04/07/2012 - 12:29. | comments

In recognition of April as National Youth Sports Safety Month, MomsTeam asked 30 experts to write a blog in 2012 answering two questions: first, how or why did they get into their field, and second, how have they made a difference in the life of a youth athlete in the past year.

Today, we hear again from Vincent Burke, a physical therapist, and the owner and operator of Infinity Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine and the Infinity Fitness & Sports Institute in Rochelle Park, New Jersey.

By Vincent M. Burke, PT, DPT, MPT, BS, NASM-CPT

Sometimes a physical therapist does more than just help an athlete recover from injury.  Sometimes they can actually help save an athlete's life.
Read more »

Commotio Cordis: Can A Chest Protector Help?

Commotio cordis is the medical term for a rare disruption of the heart's electrical system resulting from a blunt impact to the chest that leads to sudden cardiac arrest. While commercially available chest protectors have not been shown in any peer-reviewed studies to prevent commotio cordis, whether such a heart shield provides an extra measure of protection for athletes playing baseball, lacrosse, and hockey, the sports with the highest rates of sudden death from the condition, is unknown.
Read more »

Preventing Commotio Cordis in Youth Baseball

Young baseball and softball players who receive direct ball impact to the chest wall directly over the heart may develop sudden cardiac arrest, a condition called commotio cordis.  Teaching batters to turn away from an inside pitch, and pitchers to react as quickly as possible to a batted ball hit back at them can help reduce the risk, and an AED and a someone trained in CPR should be on site at all times to increase the chances of survival.
Read more »

Commotio Cordis: Tragedy on an Arizona Diamond

In early June 2010 tragedy struck a baseball field in Arizona when a 13-year-old Little Leaguer trying to bunt was struck in the chest. He took a few steps towards first base, collapsed, and died the next morning. Getting hit by a pitch is to be expected when playing baseball. Dying is not. What killed the Arizona boy? A rare condition called commotio cordis.
Read more »
« first‹ previous123456next ›last »
Syndicate content