On June 26, 2003 the Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foé suffered a cardiac arrest while playing a match with his national team against Colombia for the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in France. This was the only death recorded during a FIFA-organized match in history. The mother house of international football took action on the matter since then and created a medical protocol to counteract this type of situation. The same was applied with Christian Eriksen in the duel between Denmark and Finland for Euro 2021.
The Danish midfielder collapsed in the middle of the game and the medical assistants came to his rescue immediately. After several minutes working on the pitch, they were able to put him back together, revive him and take him out of the stadium on a stretcher to be hospitalized. The match is under the orbit of UEFA, one of the confederations governed by FIFA.
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WHAT DOES THE FIFA PROTOCOL SAY?
First, it reports that anyone, anytime, anywhere can suffer a sudden cardiorespiratory arrest (SCA). Even the healthiest and fittest. This happens when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.
The first sign is when the footballer collapses without having had contact with another player. Once on the ground, it does not respond to stimuli. Breathing is not a good indicator since despite having suffered a PCS, the footballer maintains it on a regular basis. Spasms may occur during unconsciousness.
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WHAT DID FIFA DO AFTER THE DEATH OF MARC-VIVIEN FOÉ?
In 2006, the detection of cardiovascular abnormalities was included in the pre-competition medical examination. In addition, it offers training on CPR (cardiorespiratory arrest) to referees, specialists, players and FIFA staff itself in their tournaments during medical seminars.
Ten years later, he launched his FIFA Diploma in Soccer Medicine through a free virtual platform to help medical experts learn, meet and research potential injuries. Among the modules available is CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation).
In 2018, a campaign on PCR was started with a didactic poster, presentations and seminars, taking advantage of the popularity of football as a means to raise awareness about this important issue and all with the aim of saving lives both on and off the pitch.
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WHAT FIRST AID MEASURES DO YOU RECOMMEND IN CASE OF CRP?
1. If a footballer or referee collapses on the field of play, even without prior contact with another person, with the ball or with an obstacle, approach immediately, as time is a crucial factor in this situation.
2. Check if the footballer does not respond.
3. Lay the footballer on his back, always being very careful with the neck.
4. Ask for help: call the emergency service to come as soon as possible if there is no one present who can help the player.
5. An automatic defibrillator should be available on all playing fields, including training fields. If there is not one nearby, request one immediately.
6. While someone is handling the defibrillator (if present) or contacting the emergency department, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) exercises with chest compressions should be started as soon as possible. Do not stop cardiac compressions until strictly necessary, because they will keep the patient alive.
7. When the defibrillator arrives, we will have to start it up and follow the instructions given by the recording on the device itself.
8. Remember to notify the emergency services as soon as possible.
9. The emergency services will put into practice advanced cardiology techniques. In many tournaments, in the event of a PCR, the field medical team will take care of all these actions.
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