The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Capital Regional Medical Center Finds a Cool Way to Help Victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
TALLAHASSEE– Capital Regional Medical Center now offers victims of sudden cardiac arrest hypothermia therapy, or cooling of the body temperature, as a method to reduce the damage caused to the brain and heart tissue associated with this lifethreatening condition. The use of hypothermia therapy is new to the United States—fewer than 300 hospitals… Read More
I'm Much Safer Now
Evan Piekara, Queens, NY – 24 at time of event (2008) Teach for America* nearly lost one of their stars. Just one month after his 24th birthday, Evan collapsed on the St John’s University basketball court. He’d had a trying month, 20 days straight without a break, and this was his first day off. It became a longer time-out than planned. That July… Read More
Laboring to Death
Sonja, California, MD – 30 at time of event (1999) Sonja has a beautiful 10-year-old son to remind her of the morning she was declared dead. Her pregnancy had been completely normal, until she went in for the delivery of her second son. She thought it was time, but the OB-GYN thought otherwise. The labor was quite intense, such strong pain and yet… Read More
Proper Placement of AEDs Key to Effective Use
DALLAS — The appropriate placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) is critical to optimize their use in public places, according to two studies published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Sudden cardiac arrest is the sudden, abrupt loss of heart function. Without immediate bystander cardiopulmonary… Read More
Just Two Decisions Made A Save
Eddie Rinehart, Austin, TX – 39 at time of event (2008) Eddie had no idea it would be so important. He just decided on a whim to drive to the club and use the treadmill for his morning run. Normally he pounded the neighborhood streets around 5:30am. Not that spring day. “I was five minutes into the run and I felt really weird. I was light headed… Read More
UAB Students’ Nintendo Wii CPR Earns American Heart Association Support
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The American Heart Association has pledged $50,000 to fund the work of University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) biomedical engineering undergraduate students who are working to develop a computer program that teaches CPR using hand-held remote controls from the Nintendo® Wii video game console. Students James McKee, Jack… Read More
Doctors Clear Up Questions About Heart Disease
PITTSBURGH–Initially the reports stated that Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest, but what killed him remains a mystery. Days later, television pitchman Billy Mays died of heart disease while asleep. More than a year ago, NBC news commentator Tim Russert died from a cardiac arrest caused by heart disease. All three deaths were unexpected in the… Read More
A Party Surprise With a Happy Ending
Sophia Jaromay, Antioch, CA – 20 at time of event (2008) Sophia loved her work. She hung out with her work mates, and made good money. Not any more. The happy 20-year-old was enjoying an impromptu party at a colleague's apartment after work late one evening when everything suddenly changed. Sophia only knows what they’ve told her. And she doesn’t… Read More
New York, New York. It Could Have Killed Him.
Michael Larsen, Seattle, WA – 45 at time of event (2005) Michael is a pianist. He was once a large pianist — now he’s more careful, and slimmer! In 1999 he suffered a severe heart attack and needed a quadruple bypass. Unfortunately, his heart muscle was damaged and his EF remains very low. At that time ICDs were not implanted as a safety measure… Read More