Home

Every year more than 350,000 adult Americans die from
cardiovascular disease, making it the No. 1 case of death
in the United States. Sudden Cardiac Arrest claims the
lives of at least 250,000 of those Americans before they
reach a hospital. Many of these lives could be saved if
bystanders act promptly to phone 9-1-1, begin CPR,
and if trained rescuers provide defibrillation within minutes.

The more bystanders who know to phone 9-1-1, perform
CPR, and how to use an AED when an emergency
develops, the greater the chance for survival of the
SCA victim

These interventions have been proven to significantly
reduce disability and death from heart attack and sudden
cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest is most often caused

when an abnormal heart rhythm called

ventricular

fibrillation (VF) develops. A heart in VF quivers

instead of pumping

blood. The victim collapses

and becomes unresponsive. Bystanders who

recognize the emergency, activate the EMS

system and begin CPR improve the

victim's

chance of survival. However, bystanders trained

to use an automated