Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in America.
More people die from sudden cardiac arrest than from breast cancer,
prostate cancer, house fires, hand guns, traffic accidents and AIDS
combined (1 in 4 men age 55 or older develop heart problems). A
million Americans lose their lives each year to heart disease and
since 1984 women have outnumbered men in dying from heart complications.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is responsible for an estimated 450,000
people that die each year suddenly because their heart stopped beating
or goes into irregular heart beat, depriving the brain and the rest
of the body of blood. SCA can strike anyone, at any age, anywhere
and anytime without warning. SCA is a kind of electrical malfunction
that triggers a deadly abnormal rhythm: the heart stops pumping
blood and the victim requires a quick jolt to the heart to return
it to a normal heartbeat. Untreated, death can occur within about
4 to 6 minutes. Immediate response to SCA with early defibrillation
is critical and can be the most important determinant whether the
person that has collapsed lives or dies. If a defibrillator is near
by and used within the first few minutes even before the paramedics
arrive it can cut the time of response thereby avoiding damage to
the brain and to other organs and increase dramatically the survival
rate of victims.
How do defibrillators work?
Defibrillators save lives by delivering an electrical shock to the
heart to restore normal rhythm. Automatic External Defibrillators
are relatively small, lightweight and easy to use. Most people with
no medical training can learn to use them properly in a short period
of time. The AED analyzes the heart rate and rhythm of the SCA victim,
and then the device itself makes the decision to deliver the shock
only if necessary. We should all consider having a defibrillator
at homes, businesses, youth athletic fields and all other public
gathering areas. We should be prepared for unexpected SCA the same
way we protect ourselves with fire extinguishers and smoke alarms.
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