Sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The sudden, unexpected, pulseless condition strikes about 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 Vinay Nadkarni, 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, 2017. The winner and four runners-up will be announced at the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update Conference December 5-8, 2017 in New Orleans. 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."
To view contest rules and past winners, click here.