Dr Oz show
March 9, 2010
NBC Studios NY, NY
Speaking on Sudden Cardiac Death in Adolescence
Thursday on Dr. Oz The Number One Sudden Death Killer In Children, Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
What’s causing these kids to die, learn the warning signs of a hidden condition. You could save your child’s life.
Sudden Death In Children; Today Dr. Oz examines sudden death in children with Discovery Health’s Dr. G. and Dr Asif Ali. A woman addicted to tech gadgets kick starts a 28-day technology detox. The Most Dangerous Bite in America. “Eat Away the Years” game.
Dr Oz says today that if you have children in your life he is putting you on high alert. The number one sudden killer in children, and that killer is cardiac arrest, and it’s almost always fatal. Protect your child and know the facts.
One minute your child is the picture of health running around full of energy, then suddenly her heart simply stops beating. In a matter of moments her young life ends far too soon. The cause “Sudden Cardiac Arrest” – When the heart abruptly shuts down, failing to pump blood to the brain and other vital organs.
In most cases of cardiac arrest there are no warning signs or symptoms making this the number one cause of death in America’s children.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is not the same as a Heart Attack, it’s the outcome of an underlying, and undiagnosed heart condition. There are over a dozen heart disorders that can cause cardiac arrest if not properly treated. The outcome is almost always deadly. Cardiac arrest strikes 7000 children every year, and only 5% survive.
It is only preventable if you know your child’s heart condition. Dr G Medical examiner says when somebody dies suddenly and unexpectedly in this age group, the heart is often the main culprit. With kids were not expecting them to die, and this group that dies suddenly and unexpectedly, these are not kids with chronic conditions they are walking around healthy, playing, swimming and the next minute their dead.
Dr G says the top cause for these kids sudden deaths are an enlarged heart, sometimes an arrhythmic problem – electrical problem which is also genetic.
laura and Luther’s daughter Sara was full of life and 12 years old, and they lost their daughter 3 weeks shy of her 13th birthday. It’s been 5 years since they lost Sara, but they remember the day like it was yesterday, Sara was taking a junior life guard class, and asked her mom if she could stay at a water park and play. At 10:30 that morning Sara’s friend called her and said something’s wrong with Sara, she was climbing the water slide and just collapsed, her eyes are open but she can’t hear me.
Laura rushed to the water park to find the EMS performing CPR on Sara. When they got to the hospital Sara was rushed to the trauma room. They were using the paddles shocking her. Laura and Luther said to see your 12 year old daughter fighting for her life, and the doctor’s trying everything they could, they told them to tell her goodbye, she wasn’t going to make it.
The doctor told laura and Luther Sara had suffered a cardiac arrest. Luther said he was on his knees asking them not to stop working on her. In her room they keep a locket of her hair and her bathing suit in her top drawer. How can a child be walking around with a silent killer.
Dr Oz Symptoms Of Cardiac Arrest
Thinking back Laura said that when Sara played a kick ball league she would say Mom my chest hurts, and I have this tightness, shortness of breath when I run. She took her to the doctor and the doctor just blew her off, and didn’t send them anywhere else and that was it.
Dr Asif Ali talked with Dr Oz about a ground breaking study on 6th graders. The study was shocking they found by doing a history, physical exam, EKG which looks at the electrical connection of the heart, and a cardiogram which looks at the images of the heart and 7 0f those kids had an underlying cardiac condition, and two required surgical intervention.
Dr Asif Ali says parents need to be proactive, know what sudden cardiac death is, you need to know what your risk factors are for sudden cardiac death and especially your family history. Next you need to be aware, be aware of the symptoms
1. Shortness of breath
2. Fatigue
3. Palpitations
4. Chest Pain
Make sure there are AED’s in your schools, they have a proven track record to save lives. Last week two kids were saved in Houston at two different schools with AED’s thanks to Bill 7 which requires AED’s in all elementary, middle schools and high schools.
Dr Oz Save A Life Defibrillator Demonstration
In the video Dr Oz explains an AED automatic external defibrillator. He says when someone suddenly collapses their heart becomes like a bag of worms and they are out within 3 to 5 seconds. When this happens you need to move very quickly to defibrillate them.
When someone goes down immediately their brain is starting to die. You about the box and get the machine and two little patches. You get these patches on the individual, ( Life Defibrillator machine walks you through all the steps automatically). When you open the Defibrillator box it automatically calls 911, but Dr Oz says you need to look directly at someone and tell them to do it also.
The patches show you exactly where to put them on someone’s chest, once the patches are you simply push the button and it will automatically look for and analyze for a heart beat and speak to you and tell you what to do and what not to do.
If the person is dying it will tell you it is charging and to stand clear and to press the shock button, and the voice will tell you shock delivered and you have just saved a life. I never realized how simple and quick the Life Defibrillator was, and how quick it is all done in less than one minute. It is quite expensive to buy an AED automatic external defibrillator, but when you look at it as the most important thing to have in your home, and it could save the one you love, the cost is meaningless.
