WHAT IS SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST?
  • SCA Is a life threatening emergency that occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. 
  • SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) is one of the leading causes of deaths in the U.S., 1 every 2 minutes.
  • 90% SCA victims survive when treated with an AED during the first 3 minutes.
  • The ONLY EFFECTIVE treatment for SCA is through defibrillation.
  • AED’s are very easy to use.
  • Puerto Rico will join states like Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia and Washington by empowering their police force with AED’s.
  • Member volunteers of The American Red Cross are exempt from civil liability when assisting an emergency as rescuers, under the Good Samaritan Law, as stated in Law 127 of 1998 in Puerto Rico​.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS OF SCA?                                                  According to the Cardiac Arrest Foundation, some risk factors for SCA are:
  • Prior heart attack
  • Heart failure
  • Abnormal heart rate or heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
  • Family history of arrhythmia
  • Family history of sudden cardiac death
  • Congenital heart defects
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a thickened heart muscle that especially affects the ventricles)
  • Viral infection in the heart
  • History of syncope (fainting)
  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) and risk factors for CAD, including smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle​
  • Recreational drug use.
WHAT IS AN AED? WHAT IS DEFIBRILLATION?
  • Defibrillation is a process in which an electronic device gives an electric shock to the heart. This help restart normal contraction rhythms in a heart having dangerous arrhythmia or in cardiac arrest.
  • Automatic External Defibrillator= AED (small portable defibrillator device) It is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
  • The AED is an intelligent device designed to analyze the electrical activity of the heart (heart rhythm) to determine if the person’s heart needs a shock.
  • The only way to restore a regular heart rhythm during cardiac arrest is to use an AED.​
HOW DOES AN AED WORK?
  • An AED is design to tell rescuers what to do when treating a victim. Rescuers attach adhesive electrode pads to the person’s chest and the device will only give the electric shock to the heart if the person needs it.
  • Immediate CPR and easy access to an AED are critical for an SCA’s victim survival. For every minute that passes without CPR and AED the chances of survival decrease by 7 -10%.
  • Early defibrillation significantly increases the victim’s chance of survival.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
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​​Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month  - October 
World's Heart Day- Sep 29
National Women's Heart Health/ Heart Health Awareness Month-Feb 
​National CPR-AED Awareness Week 6/1-6/7- 
​Jun 1 -2021 to Jun 7 2021
ACCES TO AN AED = CHANCE TO SURVIVE