13 yr old has heart attack rounding the bases

[Toadman15241]

If this were to happen in your game to you help in CPR if you are not an EMT? Personally, I do because I feel that saving a life is more important than the potential lawsuit.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354591,00.html

A 13-year-old Little League player is in critical condition after he collapsed during a baseball game at his Boise, Idaho middle school.

Justin McAfee went in cardiac arrest as he was rounding the bases at Lake Hazel Middle School Wednesday night, according to IdahoStatesman.com.

Emergency crews who responded to the 911 call credited bystanders with helping keep the boy alive, it was reported.

"It looks like they did an incredible job with bystander CPR," Mike Nugent, paramedic supervisor with Ada County, told the Statesman."People did all the right things. There are hopeful signs."

McAfee, a ninth grader, was rushed to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Meridian where he is currently being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit.

It was reported the teenager was in a coma, but that has been denied by hospital officials.

"To say that he’s in a coma is not completely correct," Beth Toal, the public relations manager at St. Luke’s, told FOXNews.com.

"His family has requested that we don’t release a lot of information about his condition," she added.

According to the American Heart Association, the reported incidences of out-of-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest vary widely from 2.6 to 19.7 annual cases per 100,000 children.

Causes include trauma, sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory issues, cardiovascular complications and drowning.

[TussAgee11]

Tough tough news. Hope it turns out okay for him and his family.

Does anyone think it is bad practice as an umpire to give this kid CPR if you are trained and certified? I know there could be a lawsuit for anything, but would it stand up? Would you need verbal parental consent before you initiated it? I'd like to think "being the umpire" would be thrown out in a situation like this.

Lawyers in the house stand up...

Hope this kid gets better

[justanotherblue]

I believe I fall into a different catagory than most on this issue. I was in the health care profession for nearly 30 years. I wouldn't hesitate to jump in and perform CPR in this situation. I recently had a kid dislocate his patella while fielding a ground ball. I evauated him quickly, determined what the problem was then stood back. Because of my training, I was able to keep the situation under control in a very calm fashion. For the most part, I won't intervene during an injury time out, unless it's a serious injury. For the most part, it's not our job to intervene, in fact, most say not to, including NASO. You have to be aware of the potiential risk vs. benefit, especially in today's sue happy society. I would suggest checking with your local association on how they want you to handle these situations.

[bob jenkins]

I didn't read the story, but most locales have "good samaritan laws" and as long as the attempted care is reasonable, you're protected.

[kylejt]

I'm a responsible human being first, and the umpire stuff is somewhere down the list. I'm helping out wherever I can, if I can. On the ball field, or off.

Is there really an umpire association that advocates not getting involved when kids get hurt?

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I didn't read the story, but most locales have "good samaritan laws" and as long as the attempted care is reasonable, you're protected.

Do the laws protect us if, say, the person who collapsed is named Augie and we don't try to help?

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Does anyone think it is bad practice as an umpire to give this kid CPR if you are trained and certified?

You're a worthless pantload if you DON'T give this kid CPR.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by kylejt

You're a worthless pantload if you DON'T give this kid CPR.

If you don't know how to give CPR, then I completely disagree.

[JR12]

Most states have some sort of Good samaritan law. In MD if you are not a professional care provider and you are trying to help you are not liable except for cases of GROSS negligence.
I am an EMT and CPR certified, so in a case like this would be required to act. Luckily I havent run into anything life threatning, so if some ice, bandages or stitches are all the player needs I stand back and let the coaches and parents take care of things. I may give my advice and usally reccomend a DR or ER visit.
Most 911 centers have an EMT or Paramedic on duty to tell people what to do and how to give CPR until help arrives. If your not trained, doing something is better that doing nothing.

[wmblue]

Originally Posted by JR12

Most 911 centers have an EMT or Paramedic on duty to tell people what to do and how to give CPR until help arrives. If your not trained, doing something is better that doing nothing.

This is not exactly true. The person that is trained to dispense pre-arrival medically approved advice may be an EMT-I but in most cases is Emergency Medical Dispatcher, a person who has been trained in being able to give out basic medical support in a time-life critical emergency.

There is a national standard and requirement that dispatchers are trained in dispensing Emergency Medical instructions.

I am a Public Safety Communications Officer and Emergency Medical Dispatcher/EMD Instructor by profession and welcome your questions on the situation.

As others have said in the rest of the thread, if you are trained to respond to a situation and you do not provide that aid you are putting yourself into more trouble then by rendering assistance.

[kylejt]

I still stand by my response, perhaps you misread the question.

Originally Posted by TussAgee11
Does anyone think it is bad practice as an umpire to give this kid CPR if you are trained and certified?

I wasn't calling him out, just anyone who might think it was a "bad practice".

If you are trained and certified, and balk at giving aid to a child in need of heart resuscitation, you are a walking waste of space. A kid's heart has stopped beating, you know how to save him, and you're going to let some dopey umpire association (probably the same one that requires you to wear a hat under your helmet) tell you to stand by?

My question to the group: If you have the training, like me, why would you even think about not helping?

[RPatrino]

The answer is simple, if you are CPR trained,step in and assist in anyway you can. If not, you don't.

[RCBSports]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Tough tough news. Hope it turns out okay for him and his family.

Does anyone think it is bad practice as an umpire to give this kid CPR if you are trained and certified? I know there could be a lawsuit for anything, but would it stand up? Would you need verbal parental consent before you initiated it? I'd like to think "being the umpire" would be thrown out in a situation like this.

Lawyers in the house stand up...

Hope this kid gets better

If you don't give CPR, you can get a lawsuit as well. IF you know CPR, you are mandidated by law to help any victim. If the person is going to shock, arrest, whatever, you no longer need consent.

I take peoples health very serious. I had to perform CPR on a kid at a Youth Basketball League as a referee. Saved his life; which I personally think, ALL officials of ALL sports should take CPR. But yea, if you are seeing someone having a heart attack, going into shock, can't breathe, etc, you are required by law to assist in any way possible.

Sorry if it sounds harsh, but I take others health very important, and over mine.

-Lucas

[JR12]

It's called "Implied Consent" if a person is unconcious, by law it is implied that they want help, even if 10 seconds earlier they were awake and said "leave me the hell alone".

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by RCBSports

IF you know CPR, you are mandidated by law to help any victim. . . . I personally think, ALL officials of ALL sports should take CPR. But yea, if you are seeing someone having a heart attack, going into shock, can't breathe, etc, you are required by law to assist in any way possible.

This would probably be a matter of state law, so ymmv, but I doubt that knowing CPR would subject you to legal liability for failing to render assistance. Have not heard of it in my state. Do you have cite to a statute or case in West Virginia, RCBSports?

A Good Samaritan law may absolve you from legal liability for rendering assistance, but I wouldn't think any legislature would want to discourage CPR training by requiring CPR-trained people to help or else face lawsuits.

I certainly agree that sports officials ideally should know CPR. Don't let fear of legal liability stop you.