Sudden cardiac arrest, or SCA, is the sudden unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. SCA usually results from an abnormal heart rhythm, often stemming from an underlying heart condition. Unfortunately, many people do not realize they have underlying heart conditions until SCA occurs. In fact, about two-thirds of unexpected cardiac deaths occur without any prior indication of heart disease.

Without immediate treatment, SCA is fatal. Effective treatment involves cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use of a defibrillator to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm, and advanced life support provided by paramedics. The quicker the treatment is delivered and circulation is restored, the greater the chances for survival.

Facts:

Each minute that passes when someone is in cardiac arrest is equal to 10% of their chance of survival.
80% happen outside the hospital, 50% are witnessed.
SCA kills more people each year than house fires, handguns, traffic accidents, HIV, prostate cancer, and breast cancer COMBINED!
The national survival rate for a victim in cardiac arrest in the pre-hospital setting is about 5%.
The average response time for the best EMS systems is 8 minutes, so the odds of surviving SCA if CPR is started immediately are only 20%.

In the past, laypersons could only perform CPR and wait for paramedics to arrive. CPR is certainly an important step in surviving SCA, however, the purpose of CPR is to manually circulate blood through the body – not correct an electrical problem. Additionally, CPR only accomplishes about 10-30% of the normal cardiac output. Therefore, it rarely enables the heart to "re-start". What is needed for the heart to restart is a lifesaving electrical shock from a defibrillator – known as defibrillation. In the "old days" (i.e. early 1990’s) you had to be a paramedic capable of reading a patient’s ECG tracing to determine if defibrillation was needed. Now, with advances in technology and new laws, there are machines called automated external defibrillators (AEDs). AEDs are machines that automatically read and interpret a victim’s heart rhythm and determine whether or not defibrillation is needed. These machines were developed for use by the layperson, and can be placed in public areas such as malls, health clubs, golf courses, airports, etc. AEDs are also durable, portable, lightweight, and cost effective.

If:

You could access a victim in the first few minutes following SCA
CPR is started immediately
You could have an AED deliver a shock within those first few minutes

Then your victim has up to a 70% chance of surviving! Recent studies have shown that if a victim in cardiac arrest is defibrillated in the first minute, they have a 93% chance of surviving.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has developed what is called the "Chain of Survival". This chain represents 4 things that must take place for a victim of SCA to survive. They are:

Early activation of the 911 system
Early initiation of CPR
Early defibrillation (AED use)
Early advanced cardiac life support measures by paramedics to stabilize and transport the victim

Myths:

It won’t happen here
If it does, it won’t happen to us, a loved one, or a co-worker
If it does, it won’t be that bad
If it is bad, someone else will take care of it

Here are some important links: