It is tragic to read that one of our young and dedicated athletes died after completing a South-east Asia Games selection race. After Thaddeus Cheong crossed the finishing line, he collapsed and his heart stopped beating.

For all competitive endurance events, organisers should have trained volunteers or staff who can effectively use readily available portable defibrillators, in the event of cardiac arrest.

Ideally, there should also be medical staff such as paramedics and doctors assisting in these demanding sporting events.

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in our industrialised world. It can also occur to apparently strong athletes and fit people.

Life-threatening ventricular fibrillation occurs when there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscles of the ventricles in the heart. The heart is then unable to pump sufficient blood.

Blood circulation is affected and there will be an oxygen deficiency. The person then becomes unconscious. If there is no prompt treatment, the person dies.

Cardiac arrest can be addressed with the use of a lifesaving defibrillator. The electric discharge of a direct current from a defibrillator can resuscitate the victims and save the lives of the people affected by cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation. Sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrests can be reduced through the use of defibrillators.

Participants in sporting events can also go for a medical check-up before taking part in demanding events. Nonetheless, cardiac arrest can occur to seemingly healthy hearts too. Hence, it is vital for endurance event organisers to have on-hand trained staff or volunteers and portable defibrillators.

My heartfelt condolences go to the family of Thaddeus. I hope that deaths caused by sudden cardiac arrests occurring during endurance events can be prevented.

Edmund Lim Wee Kiat