The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Could James Gandolfini Have Been Saved By Quick Use of an AED?
Beloved star ignored doctor’s warning before fateful trip to Italy, and then he checked into a hotel that wasn’t equipped with a defibrillator that could have saved his life. Sources say James Gandolfini lay on the bathroom floor of his hotel suite in Rome for more than 30 minutes before medical help arrived. But by then, it was too late. The man… Read More
Save Money on Mobile Phone Bills—and Help Save Lives Threatened by Sudden Cardiac Arrest
PITTSBURGH, PA--The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and SaveLoveGive.com today announced a partnership designed to save consumers money on their mobile phone bills—and help save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. Launched by mobile intelligence firm Validas earlier this year, SaveLoveGive.com is a free technology that helps consumers find… Read More
Death of Teenager Prompts Second California Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Monster Beverage Corporation
SILVER SPRING-- Nineteen year-old Alex Morris suffered a cardiac arrest and died on July 1, 2012. The Alameda County, California Coroner determined that the cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy. The autopsy and toxicity reports confirm that there were no illegal drugs or alcohol involved. Alex consumed at least two 16 oz. cans… Read More
Varied Quality of CPR Among EMS, Hospitals Hurts Survival
Statement Highlights: The quality of CPR varies among EMS departments and hospitals. Professional rescuers should make changes to their CPR technique based on feedback, patient response and other data. Fast and deep chest compressions with minimal interruptions are critical to high-quality CPR. DALLAS--The quality of CPR (cardiopulmonary… Read More
Maryland Registry Links AEDs to Emergency Responders
In 2008, when NBC jounalist and Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert died as a result of cardiac arrest inside an NBC office, questions emerged about the location and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). The office building had an AED inside; however, it is unknown how soon after the collapse it was retrieved. When defibrillation is… Read More
Planet Fitness Gym Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit for Failure to Help 22-Year-Old SCA Victim
A Long Island woman collapsed and died in a Bay Shore health club’s bathroom because a male employee refused to enter the women’s locker room to try to save her, a lawsuit claims. Emily Hamlin was in a ladies’-room stall at Planet Fitness on Route 27 during an early-morning workout when another gym member heard her drop to the floor, the legal… Read More
Paramedic Saves Three SCA Victims in One Month
Bellevue Fire Department paramedic John Tetzlaff was honored last week for an unusual feat: last September he saved three people undergoing cardiac arrests in separate incidents. The notable milestone got him named the first recipient of the "Triple Crown Award." His recognition was presented to him last Thursday by King County EMS Director Jim… Read More
Allegheny General Hospital Looking for Ways to Make Pacemakers and MRIs Compatible
PITTSBURGH--In the Allegheny General Hospital Emergency Room last week, 81-year-old Leonard Roth of Mt. Lebanon knew his pacemaker likely would prevent him from getting magnetic resonance imaging to determine why his legs were paralyzed. For people with pacemakers and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators, MRIs are off limits. Their… Read More
Cooling Treatment Rarely Used for Cardiac Patients in U.S. Hospitals
PHILADELPHIA--Therapeutic hypothermia -- a brain-preserving cooling treatment for patients in cardiac arrest -- is rarely used in U.S. hospitals, researchers say. Dr. Mark E. Mikkelsen, an assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said the researchers' study found 98 percent of the patients who went… Read More