Not up to par - Professional edge: clubs - overview of health club ability to manage cardiovascular emergencies

American Fitness, Jan-Feb, 2002

A new study of health and fitness facilities finds low awareness of and adherence to national standards regarding cardiovascular screening and emergency procedures. As reported in the July 2001 issue of CHEST, the study revealed that 53 percent of the surveyed health and fitness clubs did not keep a written emergency response plan and 92 percent failed to conduct emergency response drills in accordance to published national standards. While 52 percent of clubs surveyed offered special programs for older adults, cardiac patients or both, more than one-fourth (28 percent) failed to conduct pre-entry screening to identify members with signs, symptoms or history of cardiovascular disease.

"Patients with cardiac disease are 10 times more likely to surfer a cardiac event during exercise than healthy people," says Robert G. Johnson, MD, FCCP, president and chairman of the American College of Chest Physicians and professor of surgery at Saint Louis University. "Every minute is critical when there's a cardiac incident and it's imperative trained personnel and emergency procedures be in place so a workout at the gym doesn't become a tragedy."

The study also found that only 3 percent of the facilities surveyed maintained automated external defibrillators (AED) on their premises. Recently mandated for federal buildings nationwide and now slowly being required on all United States commercial airplanes, AEDs are portable, easy-to-use emergency medical devices that deliver an electric shock to a heart that is not beating properly.

"Given the fact that the fastest-growing groups of health club members are those aged 35 to 54 years and those older than 55 years, this lack of preparedness is alarming," says Kyle McInnis, ScD, lead investigator and associate professor, Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education at the University of Massachusetts. "Fitness facilities need to perform adequate and careful evaluation of all individuals, especially the elderly and those with multiple risk factors, signs or symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic disease. Health clubs also need to prepare for prompt and appropriate responses to medical emergencies that may occur. Anything less is unacceptable according to existing standards."

The purpose of the study, which surveyed 122 randomly selected health clubs in Ohio, was to evaluate compliance with recommendations for safety measures made in 1998 by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Key recommendations include a cardiovascular screening of all new members and insuring all health/fitness facilities have written emergency policies and procedures that are regularly reviewed and practiced. The study complements an earlier examination of 110 health/fitness facilities in Massachusetts that had similar outcomes and prompted the development of the AHA/ACSM guidelines.

About ACCP

CHEST is a peer review journal published by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). ACCP represents more than 15,000 members who provide clinical, respiratory and cardiothoracic patient care in the United States and throughout the world. ACCP's mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education, research and communication.

Reprinted by kind permission of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).