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Review
. 2023 Jan:12:e03.
doi: 10.15420/aer.2022.30.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Basketball and Soccer Stadiums, the Role of Automated External Defibrillators: A Review. For the BELTRAN Study (BaskEtbaLl and soccer sTadiums: Registry on Automatic exterNal defibrillators)

Mario D Bassi  1 , Juan M Farina  2 , Jorge Bombau  3 , Mario Fitz Maurice  4 , Guillermo Bortman  5 , Elaine Nuñez  6 , Manlio Márquez  7 , Norberto Bornancini  8 , Adrian Baranchuk  1   9
Affiliations
Review

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Basketball and Soccer Stadiums, the Role of Automated External Defibrillators: A Review. For the BELTRAN Study (BaskEtbaLl and soccer sTadiums: Registry on Automatic exterNal defibrillators)

Mario D Bassi et al. Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during sports events has a dramatic impact on stadium-goers and the public and is often associated with poor outcomes unless treated with an automated external defibrillator (AED). Despite this, stadiums vary in AED use. This review aims to identify the risks and incidences of SCA, and the use of AEDs in soccer and basketball stadiums. A narrative review of all relevant papers was conducted. Athletes across all sports face an SCA risk of 1:50,000 athlete-years, with the greatest risk of SCA in young male athletes (1:35,000 person-years) and black male athletes (1:18,000 person-years). Africa and South America have the poorest soccer SCA outcomes at 3% and 4% survival. AED use on-site improves survival greater than defibrillation by emergency services. Many stadiums do not have AEDs implemented into medical plans and the AEDs are often unrecognisable or are obstructed. Therefore, AEDs should be used on-site, use clear signalling, have certified trained personnel, and be incorporated into stadiums' medical plans.

Keywords: Sudden cardiac arrest; automatic external defibrillator; basketball; out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; soccer; stadium; sudden cardiac death.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: MFM is the Director of Inadea (National Institute of Arrhythmias). AB has received consulting fees from Abbott and Bayer, and a grant from Medtronic unrelated to this study. AB is on the editorial board for Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Review; this did not influence peer review. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Comparison of Modern AED Signage
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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