Pittsburgh, PA–Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the nation’s leading cause of death and tragically claimed the life of NBC journalist Tim Russert and thousands of others last summer. The National Press Club book fair this week features the SCA Foundation and Jeremy Whitehead, whose story, “A Heart Too Good to Die - A Shocking Story of Sudden Cardiac Arrest,” depicts his wife Carolyn’s triumph over near death. Whitehead directs the Foundation’s national SCA Survivor Registry. “Challenging Sudden Death: A Community Guide to Help Save Lives,” co-authored by Mary Newman, SCA Foundation president, and Jim Christenson, MD, also will be highlighted. The SCA Foundation will also be recognized at the NPC Annual Awards Dinner.
“One of the key messages we hope to convey to the media, through our relationship with the National Press Club,” said Newman, “is that sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is not the same as a heart attack. It is a preventable and treatable condition. We could save tens of thousands of lives each year in the U.S. if more people understood that SCA can be prevented, and that when it does occur, laypersons need to call 9-1-1, start CPR or chest compressions immediately, grab the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED), and follow directions.”
“Nearly all of the members of our national SCA Survivor Registry were treated immediately by bystanders who called 9-1-1, started CPR, and used the nearest AED,” said Whitehead.
SCA is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting at least 500 Americans every day. On average, only six percent of victims survive, though a national survival rate of 20 percent or more is a realistic goal. Some communities have achieved survival rates of 50 percent.
“We’d like to see more journalists break fresh ground and bring new insights and clarity to sudden cardiac arrest,” said Bobby Khan, MD, PhD, of Emory University, chairman of the SCA Foundation Board of Directors. “Greater attention to SCA in the media could have a pivotal impact on the public’s understanding of this preventable and treatable life-threatening condition. As a result, 50,000 lives or more could be saved every year.”
SCA kills more people each year than breast cancer, colorectal cancer, AIDS, fires, motor vehicle accidents, and gunshot wounds combined.