Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is an abrupt loss of pulse and consciousness caused by an unexpected failure in the heart's ability to effectively pump blood to the brain and around the body. It is usually caused by life-threatening arrhythmias, abnormalities in the heart's electrical system.
The sudden cardiac arrest victim collapses, losing his or her pulse, consciousness, and the ability to breathe. All of this happens quickly and without treatment the victim will be dead within a few minutes.
The only definitive treatment for SCA is defibrillation - an electric current that "shocks" the heart so that a normal rhythm may resume. This "shock" must be delivered within minutes of the arrest to successfully prevent death. For every minute that passes without defibrillation therapy the victims chance of survival reduces by 7 -10% - waiting for paramedics to arrive can cost many minutes
Sudden Cardiac Arrest kills more than 250 people in the UK every day and survival rates are currently as low as 5%. Studies have shown that widespread availability of easy to use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) with a co-ordinated training and early response program can increase survival rates to over 40%. In fact a study in Casino’s in the United States reported survival rates of 70%.
