Educational Materials
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming nearly 300,000 lives each year. During a sudden cardiac arrest, heart function ceases – abruptly and without warning. When this occurs, the heart is no longer able to pump blood to the rest of the body, and in some 95 percent of victims, death occurs.
While Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a significant public health crisis, it is often misunderstood. SCA is not a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a blood vessel becomes blocked and interrupts blood flow to the heart, causing heart muscle to die. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart's electrical system malfunctions and the heart stops beating. Most of these deaths occur with little or no warning, from a syndrome called sudden cardiac arrest. The most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest is a disturbance in the heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation.
The devastating effects of sudden cardiac arrest can be prevented. For individuals identified as at high risk, preventative treatments include both drug therapies and medical devices called implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).
Once a cardiac arrest occurs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation is required within the first several minutes to restore electrical activity to the heart and revive the heart's pumping function. Availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) is critical for rapid response to cardiac arrest.
The following documents outline the threat of sudden cardiac arrest and detail methods of dealing with this growing crisis.
Public Access to Defibrillation (PAD)
What are PAD programs, and how can you implement one in your area? Visit the SCAA PAD Page to find out.
"Living with an ICD" Brochures
SCAA offers this brochure as a resource for ICD implantees to better understand their device. The brochure is available in several languages with more translations to come.
Preventive Care
Well-designed prevention and cardiovascular disease management programs can both improve your overall health and also reduce health care costs from ongoing treatment related to heart disease. Ongoing prevention management and intervention can greatly improve cardiovascular health outcomes. Heart health and SCA prevention means more than knowing the symptoms – a regular routine of good exercise, diet and lifestyle habits in combination with prevention services such as routine screenings are crucial to cardiovascular health, which ultimately help to reduce the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest.
| Preventive Care Fact Sheet | Preventive Care Fact Sheet (Spanish) |
In the News
03/11/2010
CPR Class Could Be Required at High Schools
By Jackie Johnson, Wisconsin Radio Network
03/09/2010
Defibrillators, 1948
By Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times
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