Heart(y) news and views, October 9

Wishing you a wonderful autumn weekend…

Elizabeth Taylor to undergo heart operation
Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor is undergoing a heart procedure to fix a leaky valve.
“It’s very new and involves repairing my leaky valve using a clip device, without open heart surgery, so that my heart will function better.”, the 77-year old actress revealed in her twitter account. She is probably referring to the MitraClip procedure which I feature here a few weeks ago. We wish all the best, Ms. Taylor!

October is National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month
Last year, the US Congress has designated October as National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month in the US. To coincide with this month-long observance, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) 2009 Annual Meeting will take place this weekend on October 9 to 11 in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting brings together survivors, patients, health professionals, and advocacy groups who are “working to broaden public awareness, improve emergency response, and increase access to preventive medical care – all with the goal of saving lives from sudden cardiac arrest.”

October 9 is SCA Survivor Celebration Day
Also today, October 9 is SCA Survivor Celebration Day at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Rosemont Ballroom in Rosemont, IL. The event gives the opportunity to:

connect with survivors, community advocates and medical professionals

dedicated to raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest

 share your personal experience, if you’d like

discover what is being done to prevent sudden cardiac arrest right here in

the Chicago area and in the rest of the country

According to ABC7News, this is one of the largest get togethers of those who are lucky enough to survive SAC – about 5% of cases.

Flight attendant heroes: coffee, tea or a defibrillator?
They don’t only serve coffee or drink. They save lives as well. Flight attendants are trained in many things, including CPR, first aid, and operating an automated external defibrillator (AED). What the passengers and the public don’t know is how important this training is. According to this article, American Airlines deal with about 20 to 25 life-threatening situations each year that includes heart attacks and cardiac arrest. The SCAA estimates that more than 400 people have been save by AEDs on US carriers alone. In April 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration required all US carriers to equip all flights, domestic or international, with AEDs within three years. This article in the USA today reports on the heroic deeds of flight attendants and other airline staff on the ground and in the air in saving people’s lives.