An academic paper on first aid and safety to prevent sudden cardiac arrest during marathons has been released by the Shanghai Sports Medicine Institute for Marathons, which will provide support for such emergencies in the future.
Marathons have been frequently held in China in recent years, and reports of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and death are similarly increasing. There were 134 marathons held in China in 2015, with 1.5 million participants. Last year, the number of marathons rose to 323. There were 28 related cases of SCA between 2012 and 2016, but only 12 patients survived.
Reviewing the successful cases, all of which were assisted by First Response, a training agency for volunteers, it's clear that Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) played an important role in each emergency. It is essential to set up efficient emergency response systems to ensure the safety of all marathon participants.
The reason First Response has been so successful is that they provide different arrangements for different races and routes. For example, the number of the AEDs and volunteers at higher-risk marathons is much higher than at less challenging races. Research also shows that there is a chance to decrease incidents of SCA if contestants who are at greater risk are medically evaluated before the competition.
It is imperative to instate emergency response systems and provide efficient and practical first aid services for marathon participants in order to minimize danger and risk.
