The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Students, Fellows Mine Heart Data to Improve the Science of Cardiac Care
Research findings include: Defibrillator patients who lose weight may fare worse, LQTS patients should qualify for normal, age-related life insurance A small group of students and research fellows from URMC’s Heart Research Follow-up Program flexed a lot of academic muscle at the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session last… Read More
Changes Needed to Improve In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Care, Survival
Statement Highlights: Improving the readiness of hospitals and healthcare providers to deliver science-based, high quality care can improve survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest. Increasing hospital accountability and reporting and standardizing data collection for in-hospital cardiac arrest will allow institutions’ survival rates and… Read More
FDA: Azithromycin Can Cause Potentially Fatal Heart Rhythms
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public that azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm. Patients at particular risk for developing this condition include those with known risk factors such as existing QT… Read More
Hybrid Cars and ICDs: A Safe Combination?
PHOENIX--A Mayo Clinic study has concluded that patients with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators can safely drive or ride in an electric car without risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI). The study, titled "Hybrid Cars and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators: Is It Safe?" is the first of its kind to address… Read More
Penn Study Examines Health Providers' Perspectives on ICD Deactivation In End-of-Life Situations
SAN FRANCISCO--In the United States alone, an estimated 100,000 patients per year receive implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)--devices that detect life-threatening heart rhythm irregularities and deliver a high-voltage shock to return the heart to a normal pace. Despite their lifesaving purpose, many patients and clinicians will… Read More
Connor's Law Will Require AEDs at All Swimming Pools in Third Maryland County
HARFORD, MD--The Harford County Council eagerly approved a local version of "Connor's Law" Tuesday night that requires all swimming pools to have automated external defibrillators, commonly known as AED. Thomas and Debbie Freed, the parents of 5-year-old Connor Freed, who drowned in a pool in 2005 after no one was able to use a defibrillator… Read More
Cardiac Arrest Is Most Likely at Racetracks and Casinos; AEDs Most Common in Schools
WASHINGTON--The mismatch between where cardiac arrest is most likely to happen and where automated external defibrillators (AEDS) are most likely placed may help explain in part the low survival rate for this "significant public health problem," according to a Canadian study published yesterday online in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Determining… Read More
It Takes a Village to Save a Life: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation Recognizes the Rescuers Who Saved the Life of Roland "Mike" Dulaney
Thanks to the quick actions of his neighbor and local emergency responders, Roland "Mike" Dulaney survived cardiac arrest. The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation recognized Dulaney's rescuers at an event last week. PITTSBURGH--The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation last week recognized the rescuers who saved the life of Roland “Mike” Dulaney, 62.… Read More
Employees Use AED to Save WebMD Employee
ATLANTA--What would you do if someone's life rested in your hands? Fortunately for Ken Esmark, his co-workers at WebMD jumped into action. Esmark, WebMD's Director of Web Services, was 21 floors up, sitting in a meeting, when his heart suddenly stopped. "The last thing I remember is I was talking to them... And then it was lights out.… Read More