In recognition of National CPR-AED Awareness Week June 1-7, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and the Citizen CPR Foundation today announce they are jointly conducting the Cardiac Arrest Survival Video Contest. The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness about the importance of bystander CPR and use of automated external defibrillators to help victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Submissions are due October 25, 2019.
PITTSBURGH, PA--In recognition of National CPR-AED Awareness Week June 1-7, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and the Citizen CPR Foundation today announce they are jointly conducting the Cardiac Arrest Survival Video Contest. The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness about the importance of bystander CPR and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The sudden, unexpected, pulseless condition strikes about 356,000 people outside hospitals each year, including 7,000 children. On average, only 10 percent of victims survive.
Effective treatment requires immediate response from bystanders who recognize the emergency, call 911, start CPR, and use the nearest automated external defibrillator. AEDs are lifesaving devices that can be used by anyone—even laypersons—to restore an effective heartbeat. Decreasing the time between the onset of cardiac arrest and treatment is critical. The likelihood of survival decreases by 10 percent with every passing minute after collapse.
To raise awareness about the importance of immediate bystander intervention in sudden cardiac emergencies, the Citizen CPR Foundation and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation are jointly conducting the Cardiac Arrest Survival Video Contest. The grand-prize winner will receive an AED—a $1,200 value.
“We encourage film students, schools, colleges, youth sports teams, places of worship, and other interested parties to develop videos, submit their entries for consideration, and find out how they measure up against the competition,” said Vinay M. Nadkarni, MD, President of the Board of the Citizen CPR Foundation.
Videos should be 90 seconds or less and should promote CPR and/or AED use by bystanders—or recognition of heart attacks, which can lead to cardiac arrest. A panel of reviewers from both organizations will evaluate the videos based on adherence to the theme, creativity, production quality, and overall impact.
Entries are due October 25, 2019. The winner and four runners-up will be announced at the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit, December 10-13 in Seattle. Entries will be shared on both nonprofit websites and social media channels.
“Only four in 10 sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR and only one in 10 is treated with an automated external defibrillator by a bystander. Overall, survival rates are tragically low,” said Mary M. Newman, MS, President of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. “But when bystanders intervene with CPR and AEDs before EMS arrives, survival rates are as high as 50 percent. Our goal is to raise awareness about the simple things anyone can do to help save a life.”