The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Henderson, NV, Lauches Defibrillator Loan Program
HENDERSON, NV--The city of Henderson is the first jurisdiction in Nevada to offer an automated external defibrillator loan program for public use. An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a portable electronic device that shocks a cardiac arrest victim’s heart back into rhythm. The city launched the defibrillator loan program after being… Read More
Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Why It Happens
You collapse without warning. Your heart stops beating, and blood stops flowing to your brain and other organs. Within seconds, you stop breathing and have no pulse. This is sudden cardiac arrest. What Causes It? The immediate cause of most sudden cardiac arrests is an abnormal heart rhythm. The heart’s electrical activity becomes chaotic, and it… Read More
New Survey: Americans Now Expect to Find AEDs in a Wide Range of Everyday Locations
PHILADELPHIA, PA-- CardioReady, a national leader in helping organizations to prevent fatalities from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), today announced the results of a new national survey, which it commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct in December 2013. This survey aimed at gaining a broader understanding of Americans' expectations regarding the… Read More
Airport Elevator Save: Prolonged Bystander CPR Makes the Difference
JEMS Case of the Month: Dilemmas in Day-to-Day Care By Mary Newman, MS On Aug. 22, 2013, Sue Hostler arrives at the Philadelphia International Airport to catch a flight home. A frequent business traveler, she knows her way around the airport and runs to get on an elevator in a remote area of Terminal F, which is used for commuter flights. A… Read More
For Billerica Four, This Was No Game
BILLERICA, MA-- Someone was watching over David Graham the Monday before Thanksgiving. And he's sure thankful for it. The 64-year-old Billerica resident collapsed onto the Parker Elementary School basketball court between league games Nov. 25. He had gone into cardiac arrest. Because of a swift and coordinated effort among players, an assistant… Read More
Bystander CPR Better When More People Help
Cardiac arrest victims were more likely to receive good-quality bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if multiple people assisted, researchers found. Among cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, CPR quality was associated with multiple rescuers initiating bystander CPR (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.5-5.6), being in a central or urban… Read More
Off-Duty Doc Saves Life at Fitness Center
SAN DIEGO, CA--Bill Keen began the New Year in a truly heartwarming way. While working out at L.A. Fitness in Encinitas early on Sunday, so he could watch the Chargers’ playoff game, the Kaiser cardiologist heard two basketball players frantically ask for medical help. A man had collapsed in the gym. Keen found the victim in complete cardiac… Read More
Shoveling Snow Increases Cardiac Stress
ALBANY, NY-- Adults should take precautions to guard against the unique stresses shoveling snow in the cold can place on the heart, a New York cardiologist suggests. Dr. Edward Philbin, chief of cardiology at the Albany Medical Center in New York, recommended consulting a physician before engaging in vigorous physical activity such as snow… Read More
Complications Arise in 10% of Cardiac Device Implants
AARHUS, DENMARK--The risk of a complication following the implantation of a cardiac device, such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), pacemaker, or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device, is higher than previously acknowledged, according to the results of a new Danish analysis. Overall, one in 10 patients (9.6%) who… Read More