SCA Awareness
Frequently Asked Questions Sudden Cardiac Arrest
How common is sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in this country, taking the lives of more than 356,000 people each year — more than breast cancer, lung cancer, stroke, and AIDS combined.
What are the survival rates of someone who has a sudden cardiac arrest?
Currently 90% of people who experience an out of hospital cardiac arrest do not survive, but a shock delivered by an automated external defibrillator (AED) within 3-5 minutes may save these lives. Survival rates decrease by 10% with each minute of delay.
What is the Chain of Survival?
The Chain of Survival after a sudden cardiac arrest is critical in giving the person the best chance at survival. It’s easy to remember- CALL, PUSH, SHOCK.
- CALL: Immediately upon a person collapsing (going into cardiac arrest) CALL 911
- PUSH: push hard and fast in the center of the person’s chest at 100-120 compressions per minute (until emergency services arrive or an AED can be used).
- SHOCK: follow step-by-step instructions from an AED and remember that an AED cannot hurt the person, it can only help.
How can I tell if someone has just fainted or they need CPR?
Someone who is experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest will be unresponsive, not breathing or not breathing normally, call 911 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest. Don’t be afraid; your actions can only help.
Why don’t you check for a pulse?
For the lay rescuer it can be difficult to reliably detect whether a pulse is present or absent. This wastes precious time and delays starting CPR.
How does someone get oxygen with hands-only CPR?
There is oxygen in the body from before the cardiac arrest happened, and CPR helps to circulate that oxygen throughout the body. Hands-Only CPR (CPR with just chest compressions) has been proven to be as effective as CPR with breaths in treating adult cardiac arrest victims.
Should I stop compressions if the person is gasping?
No! Gasping or agonal respirations are a sign of cardiac arrest. This is not a sign that the person is waking up. Continue chest compressions until paramedics arrive.
Is CPR by itself enough to bring the person back or restart the heart?
CPR by itself is usually not enough to restart a person’s heart, but maintaining uninterrupted CPR can dramatically increase the chance of survival Chest compressions help maintain the person’s heart in a state that increases the likelihood that shocks from an AED will result in survival.
Will I hurt someone if I use an AED on them?
No, if a shock is not needed, the device will not shock the victim (i.e. if there has been a seizure, injury, or another cause for the victim to collapse). In this case other reasons for the collapse should then be assessed and CPR should be continued if needed.
What if the person has an ICD or a pacemaker?
If someone with an ICD or pacemaker faints and does not regain consciousness their device may not be functioning properly. In this case they would still need CPR just like anyone else experiencing a cardiac arrest. You can not hurt someone with an ICD or pacemaker by performing CPR and using an AED on them. You should avoid putting the AED pads directly over the device.
How common is sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in this country, taking the lives of more than 356,000 people each year — more than breast cancer, lung cancer, stroke, and AIDS combined.