The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
People in Poorer Neighborhoods Have Higher Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) was higher among people living in poorer neighborhoods in several US and Canadian cities, and the disparity was particularly evident among people under age 65, found a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. SCA accounts for up to 63% of deaths annually from cardiac diseases in the United States. Socio-… Read More
Former Steeler Survives SCA
Former Steelers undrafted free agent S. Brett Greenwood was hospitalized Friday in Iowa City, Iowa, after collapsing during a workout in Bettendorf, Iowa. Greenwood suffered an apparent sudden cardiac arrest arrest. Greenwood, who was released by the Steelers in part of their final roster cuts, was at his high school alma mater, Pleasant Valley,… Read More
NIH Funded Study Demonstrates that Patients Treated with New CPR Devices and Cooling Have Improved Long-Term Brain Function Following Cardiac Arrest
ROSEVILLE, Minn.-- Today, Advanced Circulatory Systems Inc. (ACSI) announced results from a large, NIH-funded clinical trial comparing standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to a new method of CPR that provides greater protection to the heart and brain when the heart stops beating (cardiac arrest). Their new device combination, called the… Read More
NEJM: Using an Impedance Device During CPR Does Not Improve Survival
Use of an impedance threshold device (ITD) has been shown to enhance cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); however, a study published Sept. 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that use of these devices may not improve survival among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who received standard CPR. “One… Read More
North Olmstead, Ohio, Police Receive Grant for AEDs
NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO--Lifesaving technology could soon be riding along with the city’s police cruisers. North Olmsted police have received a $10,500 grant from Fairview Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation to purchase and install automated external defibrillators in seven police cruisers. Safety Director Scott Thomas, who spearheaded the… Read More
World’s Largest Cardiac Arrest Trial Shows Longer Period of Initial CPR by Paramedics and Firefighters Provides No Benefit
A study involving nearly 10,000 cardiac arrest patients from 10 North American regions has shown that extending the period of initial cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by paramedics and firefighters from one to three minutes provides no benefit. The study, led by Dr. Ian Stiell of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), the University of… Read More
Studies: Increasing Complications for Pacemakers and ICDs
NEW YORK– Implantation of cardiac implantable electrophysiological devices (CIED) is associated with increasing rates of complications and mortality, according to results of 3 studies published in the August 23rd online Journal of the American College of Cardiology. There have been dramatic increases in the implantation of these devices, largely… Read More
Report on AED Failures: A Reminder that Maintenance is Vital
WASHINGTON-- More than 1,000 cardiac arrest deaths over 15 years are connected to the failure of automated external defibrillators (AEDs); battery failure accounted for almost one-quarter of the failures. The study was published online last week in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Analysis of Automated External Defibrillator Device Failures Reported… Read More
Patients With ICDs Live Longer, However Pacing is Crucial
Adverse effects of right ventricular pacing on the survival of ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) patients are long term, researchers from the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital explained, however, CRT (cardiac resynchronization therapy) lessens the impact. The scientists presented their findings at the… Read More