The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.

Saving Lives Can Be a Hairy Proposition

TORONTO, April 6 -- With the postseason beginning next week, many NHL players are set to support a great cause by growing out their playoff beards - and they want hockey fans to join them. The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) have joined together to launch the NHLPA Beard-a-thon, an… Read More

Two Hockey Players Suffer SCA on Same Day

The one treated immediately with a defibrillator survived ONTARIO--Ottawa paramedics are calling for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be made available at public places after two incidents involving hockey players Tuesday night. In one case, a man died where no defibrillator was available but another man lived after his heart was… Read More

Josh Miller Hearts Act of 2011 Introduced in the House

Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) today introduced the "Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act of 2011," or the Josh Miller HEARTS Act (H.R. 1377), a grant program for placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools. The bill calls for the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational agencies to… Read More

Three Saves in Three Days--Thanks to Bystanders

"Ordinary people" performing CPR helped the Fredericksburg Fire Department save three lives in three days, officials said. At a fire station in downtown Fredericksburg, Va., the trucks roll on about 10 calls per day, and most calls are fairly routine. Months could go by without an opportunity for what they call a “save” -- reviving a patient on… Read More

Study Shows Screening Can Detect Potentially Serious Heart Conditions in Youth

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Study Shows Feasibility of Screening for Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest PHILADELPHIA, March 17, 2011 -- A pilot study in healthy children and adolescents shows that it is feasible to screen for undiagnosed heart conditions that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Adding a 10-minute… Read More

Student Dies Suddenly While Playing Basketball

LITTLETON, N.C. — A 16-year-old a student died suddenly after playing basketball at a local church Monday, a school official said Tuesday.Javaris Brinkley died at Halifax Regional Medical Center in Roanoke Rapids, according to the website for Robinson Funeral Home in Littleton, where funeral services were being arranged Tuesday evening.He was… Read More

Three Deaths in One Week: Are Student Athletes Safe at School?

By Mary NewmanTragedy struck three high school students and their families in the past week. Wes Leonard, Matthew Hammerdorfer, and Sarah Landauer never knew each other, but they suffered a similar fate.  On March 3, star player Wes,16, had just taken the winning shot in overtime at a basketball game at Fennville High School in Fennville, Michigan… Read More

New Study from Israel Finds No Benefit to Screening

A mandatory screening program of athletes that involves an electrocardiogram (ECG) before participating in sports does not reduce the incidence of sudden death, according to a new analysis [1] reported in heartwire.org. The new data, from Israel, where a mandatory medical screening program has been in place since 1997, show that the incidence of… Read More

Gainesville Athlete Who Collapsed Monday Dies Early This Morning

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A Florida high school athlete who collapsed during track and field drills has died. Eastside High School Assistant Principal James Sheppard says 17-year-old Sarah Landauer died early Wednesday at a Gainesville hospital. Landauer had been hospitalized since Monday after she collapsed during track practice. The Alachua County… Read More

Another High School Student Dies from SCA

DENVER--A 17 year-old Fort Collins resident who collapsed during a rugby match in Timnath had an enlarged heart and died of cardiac arrest, according to the Larimer County Coroners office. Matthew Hammerdorfer had at least one surgery to correct the congenital defect when he was eight years old, Kari Jones, Larimer deputy coroner, said Sunday. The… Read More