The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and the Citizen CPR Foundation are jointly conducting a video contest to raise awareness about the importance of bystander CPR and use of automated external defibrillators to help victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Entries for the video contest are due October 23, 2015.
PITTSBURGH PA and OVERLAND PARK, KS—Sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The sudden, unexpected, pulseless condition strikes more than 1,000 people outside hospitals each day and less than 10 percent of victims survive.
Effective treatment requires immediate response from bystanders who recognize the emergency, call 911, start CPR, and use the nearest automated external defibrillator. Decreasing the time between the onset of cardiac arrest and the first chest compression is critical. The likelihood of survival decreases by 10 percent with every passing minute after collapse.
To raise awareness about the importance of immediate bystander help in sudden cardiac emergencies, the two nonprofit organizations are spearheading a video contest, the ECCU “Video Minute” Contest. The grand-prize winner will receive an automated external defibrillator—a $1,200 value. AEDs are lifesaving devices that can be used by anyone—even laypersons—to restore an effective heartbeat.
“We encourage film students, schools, colleges, youth sports teams, places of worship, and other interested parties to develop videos, submit their entries for consideration, and find out how they measure up against the competition,” said Tom Aufderheide, MD, president of the board of the Citizen CPR Foundation.
Videos should be 90 seconds or less and should promote CPR and/or AED use by bystanders—or recognition of heart attacks, which can lead to cardiac arrest. A panel of reviewers from both organizations will evaluate the videos on the basis of adherence to the theme, creativity, production quality, and overall impact.
Entries are due October 23, 2015. The winner and four runners-up will be announced at the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update Conference December 8-11, 2015 in San Diego. Entries will be posted on both nonprofit websites and social media channels.
“Only one-third of sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR and less than five percent of victims are treated with an automated external defibrillator by a bystander. Overall, survival rates are tragically low," said Mary Newman, MS, president of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. "But when bystanders intervene with CPR and AEDs, survival rates increase dramatically. Our goal is to raise awareness about the simple things anyone can do to help save a life."
About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a national community benefit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and saving lives. Programs include educational campaigns for schools and colleges and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Network, an online community that provides peer support and opportunities for survivors and family members affected by cardiac arrest to participate in awareness, advocacy, and research initiatives. The Foundation recently established a research panel for survivors who wish to participate in ongoing studies.
About the Citizen CPR Foundation
The Citizen CPR Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives from sudden death by stimulating citizen and community action. From December 8-11, 2015, the Citizen CPR Foundation will present the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update Conference in San Diego. ECCU 2015 will see 1,500 resuscitation professionals, CPR instructors, survivors, and community champions gather in one place to learn, share and inspire. CCPRF's founding partners are the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.
To view contest rules and past winners, click here.
See news release here.