Sudden Heart Failure in Student Athletes

DID YOU KNOW?

If defibrillation is administered within one minute of collapse, the survival rate for sudden heart failure goes up 90 percent. “Timing is key to survival. Waiting even 10 minutes to defibrillate drops the chances of survival to 10 percent,” says John Lynn Jefferies, MD.

This issue has really hit home for all of us here recently and we want to do what we can to help shed light on this issue.

This is a free, live, on-line Q and A where you and your readers can ask questions in real time. It’s a chance to talk to knowledgeable and experienced doctors and get answers right on the spot.

The Q and A takes place April 9th from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST with Jeffrey Towbin, MD and John Lynn Jefferies, MD.

Top 5 risk factors for sudden heart failure in student athletes:

1. Family history of sudden death.
2. Fainting or family history of fainting.
3. Family history of arrhythmias or heart muscle disease.
4. Participation in sports (particularly sports that require a burst of activity like basketball, hockey and football).
5. Athlete has gone through puberty (an athlete’s body is stronger at this point and has power during the burst of activity).

Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation for this post.