PRINTER'S NO. 225
No. 54 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SHAPIRO, BEYER, BISHOP, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DeLUCA, DONATUCCI, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANTZ, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN, MILLARD, MOYER, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PERRY, PHILLIPS, PRESTON, QUINN, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, MELIO, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, M. SMITH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, STABACK, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 5, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, FEBRUARY 5, 2007
A RESOLUTION 1 Designating the week of February 11 through 17, 2007, as "Long 2 QT Syndrome Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, Long QT syndrome is an inherited rhythm disorder, or 4 arrhythmia, of the heart's electrical system in which the heart 5 muscle takes an abnormally long time to recharge between 6 heartbeats, resulting in an electrical disturbance in an 7 otherwise normally structured heart; and 8 WHEREAS, The electrical disturbance of long QT syndrome is 9 commonly triggered by exercise, competitive sports, emotional 10 stress or a startling event and both reduces the volume of blood 11 pumped to the brain and starves the brain of oxygen, causing 12 fainting, seizure and/or sudden cardiac arrest; and 13 WHEREAS, Long QT syndrome predominately affects children and
1 young adults, with symptoms most commonly beginning in preteen 2 to teenage years; and 3 WHEREAS, According to the Mayo Clinic, long QT syndrome 4 affects an estimated 1 in every 6,000 people in the United 5 States; and 6 WHEREAS, Awareness of this disease, its symptoms and warning 7 signs and acceptance of the fact that children and young adults 8 can and do have heart disorders are keys to saving lives; and 9 WHEREAS, Symptoms of long QT syndrome which raise red flags 10 in the adult population are often overlooked or misinterpreted 11 in the younger population and misdiagnosed as fainting or 12 seizure disorders such as epilepsy; and 13 WHEREAS, Sudden cardiac arrest is the first symptom in 1 out 14 of 10 long QT syndrome patients; and 15 WHEREAS, Long QT syndrome appears to be a common cause of 16 sudden and unexplained death in children and young adults and is 17 estimated to cause the sudden death of as many as 5,000 children 18 and young adults each year; and 19 WHEREAS, Long QT syndrome has been linked to many deaths 20 caused by sudden infant death syndrome; and 21 WHEREAS, QT prolongation is detected on an electrocardiogram, 22 and long QT syndrome, once diagnosed, is readily treatable with 23 beta-blocker medications and, if warranted, pacemaker or 24 cardioverter-defibrillator implantation; and 25 WHEREAS, Inherited long QT syndrome is caused by mutations of 26 at least eight genes; and 27 WHEREAS, As many as 50% of individuals who carry the genetic 28 code for long QT syndrome never exhibit symptoms, yet they may 29 pass the specific gene types on to their children; and 30 WHEREAS, Genetic testing is available to determine those 20070H0054R0225 - 2 -
1 individuals who carry the three most common types of long QT 2 syndrome genes; and 3 WHEREAS, More than 50 common medications, electrolyte 4 abnormalities and various medical conditions are other causes of 5 long QT syndrome; and 6 WHEREAS, Simon Sudman of Montgomery County passed away in 7 January 2005 at the age of three months as a result of long QT 8 syndrome, and on January 27, 2007, the annual Simon's Soiree 9 will be held in Simon's memory; therefore be it 10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the 11 week of February 11 through 17, 2007, as "Long QT Syndrome 12 Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania; and be it further 13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge 14 Pennsylvanians to become familiar with the symptoms and 15 conditions associated with long QT syndrome. A11L82BIL/20070H0054R0225 - 3 -