Fabrice Muamba's remarkable story has been a great piece of positive press for the NHS, and particularly demonstrates how this complex chain of people and technology comes together to really save lives. (It feels a bit corny just writing that, but if there is one thing that deserves it, this is it)
- 1813 GMT: Muamba collapses on the pitch due to a cardiac arrest 41 minutes into Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final with Tottenham at White Hart Lane
- 1819 GMT: Medics move Muamba to an ambulance
- 1901 GMT: Muamba arrives at the London Chest hospital
- 1931 GMT: Muamba receives 15 defibrillator shocks in total before his heart starts beating again
Despite all the positive press for the NHS I think an opportunity was missed to describe some of the real details of a major cardiac event, particularly ventricular fibrillation, and the technology and expertise of the medical professionals involved by the BBC here.
There is no doubt that the Bolton doctor Jonathan Tobin and the London Chest Cardiac consultant came out of it looking good.
But Fabrice wasn't lying there on a slab with no heart beat like a lump of meat for 78 minutes. A whole bunch of people were working to physically oxygenate and pump the blood around his vital organs, and to provide drugs and stimulation to eventually restore normal heart rhythm.
Although I suspect the headline "Man, who would otherwise have died makes statistically unlikely survival as a result of the hard work, dedication and expertise of a large number of medical and scientific professionals" is a bit less punchy that "man dead! Now miraculously alive" etc.
Update
It seems that the guardian wrote the article that I felt that the BBC should have done instead, its got a good breakdown of the processes, risks and responsibilities involved.
Notes on some of the Drugs available
From nursing times... these are some of the drugs that might have been given to Fabrice during the cardiac event; (http://is.gd/IWf46P)
Adrenaline
This is the first drug given in all causes of cardiac arrest and should be readily available in all clinical areas. Adrenaline concentrates the blood around the vital organs
Amiodarone
This drug is given during cardiac arrest to treat specific cardiac arrthymias, mainly ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
Lidocaine
This drug is similar to amiodarone in that it is given to treat specific cardiac arrythmias, again mainly ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
Atropine
The action of this drug is to block the effect of the vagus nerve on the heart. This nerve normally slows heart rate and, during cardiac arrest, is a common cause of asytole.
Calcium chloride
Calcium is essential for the contraction of muscular tissue throughout the body, and is especially important for the strength of contraction of cardiac tissue. If given during cardiac arrest it can stabilise the contraction of cardiac tissue after metabolic changes have caused instability and arrythmias
Magnesium sulphate
Magnesium is an important electrolyte involved in the contraction of muscular tissue, including cardiac muscle.
Resuscitation Guidelines from the US
2005 american heart association guidelins for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care;
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/112/24_suppl/IV-58.full
URLS
http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-specialisms/cardiology/heart-related-collapses-like-muambas-are-rare/5043107.article
http://www.themedschoolproject.com/2012/03/fabrice-muamba-can-you-be-dead-for-78.html
http://www.deathreference.com/Da-Em/Definitions-of-Death.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/25/patrice-muamba-heart-attack-cardiologist
"78 minutes in the life (and near death) of Fabrice Muamba
When Bolton Wanderers star Fabrice Muamba, 23, dramatically collapsed last Saturday he came perilously close to death. This is the remarkable story of the team that saved him"http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/25/muamba-collapse-minute-by-minute
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