CPR & Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
Fact Sheet As of April 26, 2010

Sudden Cardiac Arrest
• EMS treats nearly 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the U.S.
• Less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive.
• Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors.
• Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Less than one-third of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR.
• Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
• The American Heart Association trains more than 12 million people in CPR annually, including healthcare professionals and the general public.
• The most effective rate for chest compressions is 100 compressions per minute – the same rhythm as the beat of the BeeGee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive.”
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
• Unless CPR and defibrillation are provided within minutes of collapse, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.
• Even if CPR is performed, defibrillation with an AED is required to stop the abnormal rhythm and restore a normal heart rhythm.
• New technology has made AEDs simple and user-friendly. Clear audio and visual cues tell users what to do when using an AED and coach people through CPR. A shock is delivered only if the victim needs it.
• AEDs are now widely available in public places such as schools, airports and workplaces.
Teens/Youth
• About 5,800 children 18 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes – including trauma, cardiovascular causes and sudden infant death syndrome.
• The incidence of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes ranges from .28 to 1 death per 100,000 high school athletes annually in the U.S.
• The American Heart Association does not have a minimum age requirement for people to learn CPR. The ability to perform CPR is based more on body strength rather than age.
• Studies have shown that children as young as 9 years old can learn and retain CPR skills.

SOURCE:  American Heart Association

ST. CHARLES COUNTY – A seventh-grader at Francis Howell Middle School was revived after his heart stopped in gym class this afternoon, officials said.

Boy saved with CPR

Austin Redd, 13, collapsed to the floor and went into cardiac arrest after running a couple laps about 12:45 p.m., officials said.

St. Charles County Deputy Ron Neupert, 50, raced to the gym and found Austin unconscious, not breathing, without a pulse and beginning to turn blue. Neupert started CPR and radioed for an ambulance.

The school nurse, Lynne Finnerty, shocked Austin once with the school’s automatic external defibrillator (AED). Shortly after, Austin awoke.

“It seemed like forever, but within a few seconds, he began to breathe on his own and you could see he was coming around,’ Neupert said.

Paramedics loaded Austin into an ambulance and rushed him off to Progress West HealthCare Center in O’Fallon, Mo.

Marty Limpert, a spokesman for the St. Charles County Ambulance District, said the incident illustrates the need for AEDs in school and well-trained staff.

“There’s no doubt that they saved his life,” Limpert said.

It’s not yet clear what caused Austin to collapse. Officials were not aware of any prior medical conditions. Austin’s parents were with him this afternoon as he rested at the hospital. He was transferred by helicopter to St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis for examination. He is expected to be OK.

“It’s awesome,” Neupert said of Austin’s recovery. “These kids are my kids and I care about every single one of them.”

In recent years, AEDs have become increasingly common in public places such as schools, athletic centers, churches, sports arenas and casinos.

The devices, which prompt rescuers with voice commands and pictures, deliver electric shocks designed to restore a person’s heart back into its regular rhythm.

In 2004, the Illinois passed a law requiring schools to have defibrillators for athletic events. Missouri has no such law.

A district spokeswoman said all Francis Howell schools and district offices have had AEDs for several years.

Francis Howell Middle School Principal Amy Johnston said Thursday’s incident the first time the school has used its AED since it was installed about eight years ago.

And “hopefully the last,” she said.

SOURCE: /interact.stltoday.com

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Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates Surge When AEDs Are Used Before EMS Arrival

Pittsburgh, Penn. – April 15, 2010 – Victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) who are treated with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by bystanders have a much greater chance of survival than their counterparts, according to landmark research by the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium, just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers reviewed 13,769 cases of SCA occurring outside hospitals in multiple sites in the U.S. and Canada. Using multivariate analysis, researchers looked at potential confounding factors such as bystander CPR and time to EMS arrival. An AED was used before arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in 2.1 percent of cases. Survival in the overall group was 7 percent, compared to 24 percent when an AED was applied before EMS arrival, and 38 percent when an AED shock was delivered before EMS arrival. Use of an AED before EMS arrival increased the odds of survival by 80 percent.

“This is the first time a broad population was studied in this country,” said principal investigator, Dr. Myron Weisfeldt, Director, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. “This study shows in a dramatic way that the use of AEDs by bystanders is a very potent indicator of survival.”

When study results were extrapolated to the entire population of the U.S. and Canada, researchers found that 470 people are saved each year due to bystander use of AEDs. “We are talking about nearly 500 people with families, said Weisfeldt. “I think the impact is significant.”

“This study is the landmark research we have been waiting for. It confirms the need for widespread deployment of AEDs, and the need for the public to become familiar with their use,” said Mary Newman, President of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation.

“This data also supports the efforts of organizations making efforts to advance public education,” said Weisfeldt. “We need to get the message out that, ‘You can do this. Sixth graders can do this. With AEDs, you have a real chance to save a life.’”

In addition, the ROC study analyzed the type of bystander using the AED. The best results occurred when AEDs were used by lay people, Weisfeldt said. The second-best results occurred when AEDs were used by healthcare personnel, and the worst results occurred when AEDs were used by police. The differences are likely related to the location of arrest. People who are out in public places generally are healthier than those in hospitals and nursing homes, where healthcare personnel were generally responding. And police were generally responding to victims at home, where victims are more likely to have had unwitnessed SCA, longer time to treatment and, therefore, lower chance of survival.

About Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. It kills approximately 250,000 people each year in the U.S. alone, more than from colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, auto accidents, AIDS, firearms, and house fires combined.

SOURCE: sca-aware.org

Click here to read the article

Pismo Beach California Parking Enforcement staff tooks a Safety First Seminars AHA BLS Heartsaver CPR class and learning how to use an AED.
They will have a Cardiac Science AED to use for the 4th of July weekend.
Pismo Beach continues to strive to be a Heart Healthy and Heart Safe City. All of the police cars have AED’s in them. Pismo Beach Police Officers have saved lives as a result of having AED’s in their police cars.
Safety First Seminars is proud to have been able to provide them with this life saving training.

More info from the Heart of America Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association

Sudden Cardiac Death may not be prevented but more lives can be saved if the community will inform everyone to:

· Early Access to Medical Care: (calling 9-1-1 immediately)

· Early CPR: begin immediately, use rapid compressions

· Early Defibrillation: more are needed in all public places

· Early Advanced Care: by getting the patient to emergency care

What is sudden cardiac death? Sudden cardiac death (also called sudden arrest) is death resulting from an abrupt loss of heart function (cardiac arrest). The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. The time and mode of death are unexpected. It occurs within minutes after symptoms appear. The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease but other geneticlally related conditions may cause sudden cardiac arrest as well.

About 350,000 people a year die of coronary heart disease without being hospitalized or admitted to an emergency room. That’s about half of all deaths from CHD — more than 950 Americans each day. Most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest. Only 6% will survive. That number needs to be improved through public awareness, CPR training, placement of AED’s in all public places and genetic testing for heart conditions.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a major health problem. According to the American Heart Association, SCA kills more than 350,000 people each year in the United States.

·SCA kills more Americans than stroke, lung cancer, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS combined.

· An estimated 94 percent of all people who suffer SCA die before reaching the hospital.

·Early defibrillation is the only definitive treatment for SCA, and survival decreases 7-10 percent for every minute without it.

·SCA victims range from young children to the elderly.

·The average response time to an emergency call is six to 12 minutes.