The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Dugan Chandler helps save lives
Dugan Chandler, 16, of Victoria, Texas, suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on Friday, October 16, 2020. He had been competing at a youth rodeo, but immediately afterwards, he collapsed. A bystander, who happened to be a firefighter, started CPR, and another bystander had someone grab the automated external defibrillator (AED) he happened to… Read More
COVID-19 spurs new research on cardiac health of college athletes
American Heart Association and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine collaborate to evaluate impact to heart, improve detection and inform safe return to play DALLAS, TX--The American Heart Association and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) are joining forces to accelerate a critical new research initiative studying… Read More
COVID nightmare in L.A. as emergency system falters
As cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in Los Angeles County, first responders have been directed not to take cardiac arrest patients to the hospital if they can't be resuscitated in the field and to conserve the region’s dwindling supply of oxygen supplies. The Emergency Medical Services Agency of Los Angeles County issued the new guidance… Read More
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests increased during the pandemic
While COVID-19 has claimed more than 13,000 lives in Michigan, a study conducted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan State University published in JAMA Network Open, suggests that many more likely died from cardiac arrest directly and& indirectly attributable to the pandemic. The study examined out-of-hospital… Read More
Ankur Doshi, MD, FACEP, joins Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation Board of Directors
Ankur A. Doshi, MD, FACEP, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF). Dr. Doshi is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Clinical Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Post Cardiac Arrest Service (PCAS).… Read More
Qualified charitable distributions: Using your IRA to give from the heart (update)
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act roughly doubled the standard deduction ($12,200 for single filers and $24,400 for married taxpayers filing jointly in 2019) and indexed it for inflation through 2025. As a result, far fewer taxpayers will itemize deductions on their tax returns, and some people may be disappointed that they no longer benefit from writing… Read More
Socioeconomic background linked to survival after having a cardiac arrest in hospital
Hospital in-patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are less likely to receive prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after their hearts stop beating and less likely to survive than patients from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. These are the findings of a new study in over 24,000 patients in Sweden, published in the European Heart… Read More
66 years later, survivor Stan Wisniewski is still going strong
Stan Wisniewski experienced sudden cardiac arrest on December 17, 1954. Sixty-six years later, he is still going strong. The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation had the opportunity to catch up with Stan and his wife, Jaci, earlier this week. Here is his story, in his own words. An incredible story of survival The year 1954 was a time when there… Read More
Learning from cardiac arrest survivors and their loved ones
Life after survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can be challenging for both survivors and their loved ones, according to speakers at the Citizen CPR Foundation (CCPRF) Virtual Summit last week. Their session, “Putting Science into Action: Thriving in Survivorship,” was introduced by survivor Jim Niskanen, Chair of the CCPRF Survivorship… Read More