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More details released in Boyd death: defibrillator was not used in key moments after collapse

Titan prospect Jordan Boyd, 16, was pronounced dead last August after collapsing to the ice during the first day of drills at Titan camp.
Titan prospect Jordan Boyd, 16, was pronounced dead last August after collapsing to the ice during the first day of drills at Titan camp.

While hindsight is always 20/20 after the fact, more details have been unearthed in the surprise death of Justin Boyd, 16, prospect of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan who collapsed and died on the first day of training camp this past season.

It certainly doesn’t look good.

Reports say that a defibrillator was not used until paramedics arrived at the scene at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst after Boyd collapsed. Had one been used in the crucial moments after his collapse, it could have made a difference.

The details of Aug. 12 are available now. At 10:34 A.M., a call from the rink was made to 911 emergency services, who treated the case as an unresponsive/fainting incident, based on initial information. Three minutes into the call, the incident was changed to cardiac arrest, after it was learned that the team trainer had begun CPR. At that time, dispatch asked if there was an AED available, and heard someone ask a bystander to get it.

When paramedics arrived at 10:40 A.M., they noticed no AED use, and no AED prepped for use. The paramedics announced the CPR not effective on scene, and Boyd passed not long after.

Paramedics found that Boyd was still wearing his jersey and chest protector when they arrived, a key sign that the CPR administered may not have been effective. By the time Boyd received a shock from an AED, more than 10 minutes after the collapse and after his jersey and pads were cut apart, it was too late.

Defibrillator use is crucial in first moments of cardiac arrest

Studies show AED use is most effective in the first five minutes, and even up to 10, before it drops off sharply.

"What the data showed is that if the defibrillator had been applied within the first five minutes, you get that 70 per cent effective rate," Halifax cardiologist Dr. Martin Gardner told CBC.

"I believe up until 10 minutes, the effectiveness is still in the 50 per cent rate area and then it falls off quite quickly after that. So the earlier it’s applied, the higher the degree that this would be effective."

An AED is required to be on-site at all QMJHL arenas.

"League rules stipulate a defibrillator must be present in every QMJHL rink," spokesman Photi Sotiropoulos said. "Moreover, the majority of our teams also have a portable defibrillator that they bring with them during road games.

"Athletic therapists are trained to do CPR and are also present during training and game days. The safety and well-being of our players is paramount and we take this aspect of our work very seriously."

Cardiomyopathy the cause of death

The autopsy showed that Boyd suffered from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a genetic defect of the heart muscle known as the desmosomes. That’s the area of heart muscle cells that link the cells together.

We speculated back in August that his death would be of a similar nature to those of Mickey Renaud and Alexei Cherepanov, and what forced Jiri Fischer to retire from hockey. All three of them, suspected or confirmed, suffered from a form of cardiomyopathy.

It’s not uncommon for cardiomyopathy to go undetected. Boyd underwent a physical before training camp that showed no red flags, however heart tests were not part of the plan.

It’s also not uncommon for cardiomyopathy sufferers to have the first signs of the defect be fatal.

Boyd was a fourth round pick of the Titan in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.