10 Things You Should Know about Peripheral Artery Disease By Dr. Lee Yates

If you are suffering from leg pain, burning or aching in your calves or a wound in your foot or leg that won’t heal, you may have peripheral artery disease. Also known as PAD, this condition that affects 8-12 million Americans can cause leg tiredness, cramping and pain when walking. PAD also raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, leg amputation and death.

Since September is PAD Awareness month, it is a great time to explore this topic. If you suspect you or a loved one may have PAD, consider these frequently asked questions about the disease:

1. What is PAD?
This is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs. When you develop PAD, your extremities — usually your legs — don’t receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand. This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain when walking. PAD is also likely to be a sign of a more widespread accumulation of fatty deposits in your arteries (atherosclerosis). This condition may be reducing blood flow to your heart and brain, as well as your legs.

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The parents of an 8-year-old boy who died of a drowning incident on July 14, 2014 are backing a campaign by local non-profit, Arrhythmia Alliance, affiliated with STARS-US, and Bluffton Police Department to place an automated external defibrillator (AED) in every patrol car in the town of Bluffton, SC.

Gavin Quance was pulled unconscious from a swimming pool at his family home by his mother, Amanda, who alerted the emergency services and started CPR herself. Lt Joe Babkiewicz and two colleagues arrived and took over CPR, but it was a further five minutes before the ambulance arrived with an AED. Sadly Gavin could not be revived, and was pronounced dead on arrival at Coastal Carolina hospital.

“Those five minutes could have saved Gavin’s life,” said Lt Babkiewicz. “Although the paramedics respond to all our medical emergencies, we often get to the scene a lot sooner as we are already in the locality.  We are all trained in CPR, but an AED in every police vehicle means we could start defibrillation minutes earlier and potentially save more lives.”

CPR alone can increase the survival rate to 9%, but when combined with use of an AED, survival can reach more than 50%. Quick action can make the difference between life or death.

Trudie Lobban MBE, Founder and CEO of Arrhythmia Alliance and STARS-US said: “My heart goes out to Gavin’s family, who are still suffering the pain of his loss one year after this tragic event, and I am very grateful to them for their support for this campaign.  An AED in every police car in Bluffton will dramatically increase the chances of anyone, young or old, who suffers an SCA recovering and returning to their loved ones.”

To equip every Bluffton police vehicle, AEDs are needed at a total cost of $50,000.

For more about the Arrhythmia Alliance-Gavin Quance Campaign please contact Bonnie Powell, Program Director at 843-415-1886 or b.powell@heartrhythmalliance.org

To make an online donation please go to www.gofundme.com/AA-GavinQuance