The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Cooling Treatment Rarely Used for Cardiac Patients in U.S. Hospitals
PHILADELPHIA--Therapeutic hypothermia -- a brain-preserving cooling treatment for patients in cardiac arrest -- is rarely used in U.S. hospitals, researchers say. Dr. Mark E. Mikkelsen, an assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said the researchers' study found 98 percent of the patients who went… Read More
Actor's Sudden Death Attributed to Cardiac Arrest
LOS ANGELES--James Gandolfini, 51, died Wednesday while vacationing in Rome. Dr. Claudio Modini, head of the emergency department at the Policlinic Umberto I hospital in Rome, said Gandolfini suffered a cardiac arrest. He arrived at the hospital at 10:40 p.m. (2040 GMT, 4:40 p.m. EDT) Wednesday and was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. after… Read More
James Gandolfini Dead at 51: Cardiac Arrest Explained
Cardiac arrest was behind James Gandolfini's death Wednesday at age 51. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating. About 383,000 episodes of cardiac arrest occur outside of a hospital among Americans each year, 88 percent of which happen at home, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The estimated survival rate is about 11… Read More
Soprano Star Dies from "Massive Heart Attack" in Italy
James Gandolfini, best known for his role of mob boss Tony Soprano in HBO's "The Sopranos," died of a "massive heart attack" in Italy, according to media reports Wednesday. Gandolfini, 51, was recently seen in the 2012 film "Zero Dark Thirty," about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Updated media reports state his sudden death was due to cardiac… Read More
Shocking Truths About ICDs
Each year, more than 120,000 Americans have defibrillators implanted in their chests to give life-saving shocks, but sometimes the devices go off for the wrong reasons, and point to a more serious heart problem. Defibrillators are little devices that monitor every heartbeat, and when a defibrillator detects that a patient has gone into… Read More
Elderly Patients Benefit from Use of Implantable Defibrillators
Study Highlights: Older people may benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) as much as younger people. Overall health, not age alone, should determine how well people will do after receiving an ICD. DALLAS--The elderly may benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillators as much as younger people, according to… Read More
UHealth Launches New Clinic to Reduce Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes
MIAMI--A serious road biker, Michael Gale was in a Broward County cafe discussing his upcoming 100-mile ride in hilly Mount Dora when his head abruptly slumped to his chest. Fortunately, a nurse who was dining nearby realized the 58-year-old fitness industry executive was in sudden cardiac arrest and administered CPR, triggering the emergency… Read More
The Best City to Suffer Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
A trip to Sin City isn't always fun and games, with MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas averaging roughly 45 to 50 sudden cardiac arrests a year on the casino floor. With heart attacks becoming commonplace in casinos, properties on The Strip are training employees to use defibrillators, also known as AEDs – turning casinos into what some consider… Read More
FDA Warns About CyberAttacks Targeting Medical Devices
The FDA is warning that implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators, are often connected to networks that are vulnerable to cyber attacks that could shut down or manipulate the machinery. Hackers with malicious intentions could introduce malware into the equipment, thereby gaining access to configure settings in medical… Read More