The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
What to know about bystander CPR and coronavirus risk
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't changed the fact that bystanders play a crucial role in improving survival rates for cardiac arrest. But providing potentially lifesaving CPR requires extra considerations amid the coronavirus crisis, according to temporary guidance from the American Heart Association. "Historically, we haven't seen a significant risk… Read More
Rotary-Kerber HeartSafe Community Campaign launched to save lives in Iowa and honor the memory of Dr. Richard Kerber
The Rotary-Kerber HeartSafe Community Campaign, with support from the Iowa City Noon Rotary Club, has been launched just in time for what would have been Dr. Richard E. Kerber’s birthday on May 10th. The initiative is inspired by the world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Kerber (1939-2016), University of Iowa Professor of Medicine and a founder of the… Read More
Electrocardiograms show value in college athletes’ screens
Over the past 30 years, colleges and universities have increasingly screened athletes for health conditions that may pose undue risk to sports participation. Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death among college athletes, so a primary function of these screenings is to reveal unknown heart conditions. The National Collegiate… Read More
American Heart Association urges patients to quickly call 911 for chest pain or heart symptoms
Temporary guidance on heart attack care issued for professionals. [SCAF note: Heart attacks can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.] DALLAS, TX --American Heart Association volunteer experts issued Temporary Emergency Guidance to STEMI Systems of Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic, on behalf of the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline initiative, Get With The… Read More
Researchers identify ‘terrible’ spike in at-home cardiac arrests during COVID-19 surge
Italian investigators believe theirs are the first published data showing high numbers of at-home cardiac arrests amid the pandemic. Chilling numbers out of northern Italy point to a 58% increase in the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in the first 40 days of the COVID-19 pandemic there, as compared with the same period last year… Read More
Hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 linked to increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias
Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Concern of Global Interest on January 30, more than one million have tested positive for the illness in the United States, and more than 62,000 have died. With no FDA–approved treatments available to date, the anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, has emerged as a potential… Read More
GivingTuesdayNow: Please save the date
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team is more dedicated than ever to our mission to raise awareness and save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which affects 1,000 people out of hospitals each day in the U.S. Please save the date, Tuesday, May 5, #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity, and plan to make a tax-… Read More
FDA lifts injunction on manufacture and distribution of Philips’ defibrillators in the US
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS--Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, announced today that its Emergency Care and Resuscitation (ECR) business is resuming manufacturing and shipping of external defibrillators for the US, following notification from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the injunction… Read More
FDA reiterates importance of close patient supervision for ‘off-label’ use of antimalarial drugs to mitigate known risks, including heart rhythm problems
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Drug Safety Communication regarding known side effects of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, including serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems, that have been reported with their use for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19, for which they are not approved by the FDA… Read More