Cardiac arrest can literally occur at anyone, anytime and anywhere. Ironically, it can also attack people who are trying to keep their bodies in good shape both for aesthetic and health purposes. Gyms and fitness centers are just one of the many places where cardiac arrests are likely to occur.
Cardiac Arrests During Physical Activities
Cardiac arrest though unpredictable can stem out from many reasons. Reasons range from a family history of cardiac arrest, coronary artery disease, heart problems that are present at birth and many more. These tell-tale symptoms show itself through left-side chest pain, shortness of breath and even flu-like symptoms.
And yes, no one is exempted, even a fit sportsman. On October 24 of 1971, NFL player Charles “Chuck Hughes” died of a heart attack on the field during a game. Weeks before his death, he experienced chest pains and the doctors have failed to discover that he had already developed severe coronary atherosclerosis, an obstruction of the arteries due to plaque buildup. On top of that, he also had a family history of heart disease. His death, though a tragic blow, is something that we can all learn from.
A recent study by a team of renowned cardiac arrest investigators conducted on athletic participants with ages 35 to 65 have shown that some common physical activities can lead to cardiac arrest. These activities are jogging, playing basketball, cycling, gym activities, golfing, volleyball, tennis and soccer with 27% to 3% chances, respectively.
Gym activities have scored 11 percent possibility to incur cardiac arrest on middle-aged athletes. This may look like a small number, however, the statistics cannot be simply ignored. The study also highlighted that two-thirds of people who experienced cardiac arrests have experienced symptoms such as left-side chest pain and shortness of breath, a week before working out. In a recent survey for a study “Low Compliance With National Standards For Cardiovascular Emergency Preparedness At Health Clubs” 65 randomly chosen health or fitness centers in Ohio show 17% occurrence of cardiac arrest within a 5-year period.
Public Access Defibrillation In Fitness Centers
The numbers above show feasible data to support Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) programs on fitness centers and facilities. If cardiac arrest is likely to occur in one place, it is always better to have access to an AED in that specific area. In the chain of survival of cardiac arrest, early defibrillation must be administered to minimize damaging effects caused by the sudden halt of oxygenated blood flow to the brains and vital organs. Fitness facilities are just one of the many places where a cardiac arrest can occur, and pinpointing them will take lots of time. This is one reason why PAD programs must be furthered to save more lives.
A readily available AED placed in all health or fitness facilities, as permitted by law, only has one goal and that is to deliver successful defibrillation to a cardiac arrest patient. Along with the placement of this device, the importance of having proper training on how to use AED is also highly encouraged. Fitness facilities staff can have themselves enrolled in training for AED in institutions such as Citywide CPR.
