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Newsroom Chapter Blog
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Oct
22
10/22/2009 8:38 AM
October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month. I’ll admit, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. If you’d asked the average person what Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) was, their answer would likely be "a heart attack." But comparing SCA to a heart attack is like comparing apples to oranges.
- Heart attack: A circulation problem in the heart, when arteries supplying the heart get blocked. Oxygen in the blood cannot reach the heart muscle, and the heart muscle becomes damaged. Generally, there are symptoms prior to a heart attack like difficulty breathing, numbness in arms, tightening of the chest or upper back pain. These symptoms help to recognize the emergency and get medical help on the way.
- Sudden cardiac arrest: An electrical problem in the heart, when the lower chambers begin to quiver instead of contract. The chaotic quivering motion renders the heart ineffective at pumping blood, and it no longer supplies the body and brain with oxygen. There are no symptoms to recognize SCA. Without warning, someone is talking, walking or running and suddenly drops with no signs of life.
Both are extremely dangerous and require immediate medical attention. But SCA has a significantly low survival rate – just 5% of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest actually survive. Think about it: even when someone has a heart attack, they are usually conscious and able to communicate to others how they are feeling. But with SCA, a person usually blacks out and even stops breathing almost immediately. The only effective treatment for SCA is using an AED to deliver a shock to the heart to “reset” the heart back to a normal rhythm. Without help from bystanders who know CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), the chance of survival drops 10% each minute.
Here at the Chapter, we work every day to educate people about the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the need for training in CPR and how to use an AED. And, organizations who want to purchase AEDs can do so through the Chapter. Plus, we’ve even started a support group for SCA survivors, family and friends!
As part of SCA Awareness Month, the Heart Rhythm Society has created a simple self-assessment quiz to help you identify your risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Try it for yourself, and send it to others.
Additionally, I’d encourage you to watch CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta as he explores the issue of SCA on a special called “ Cheating Death.” The stories of survival are amazing.
Of course, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get trained in CPR. Classes are offered year-round and all over the metro area through the American Red Cross. Dana Garner is an AED sales specialist for the St. Louis Area Chapter.
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