The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Man Survives 96 Minutes Without a Heartbeat
ROCHESTER, Minn.--A 54-year-old man is the first known person to survive sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) neurologically intact after spending 96 minutes without a heartbeat, according to an article in today's Wall Street Journal. Howard Snitzer, a chef from Goodhue, Minnesota, collapsed in January outside a grocery store, when bystanders rushed to his… Read More
Edina, MN, Ranked First for SCA Survival
MINNEAPOLIS--Edina residents are more than twice as likely to survive a sudden cardiac arrest than the nationwide average, according to a study conducted by the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) program. The Edina Fire Department was ranked first in the U.S. for sudden cardiac arrest survival rates among 2010 CARES participants… Read More
A Safer Place to Read: DC Libraries Install AEDs
Newswise — (Washington, DC) - People who suffer sudden cardiac arrest at District libraries now have access to automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) at all locations thanks to a partnership between the Federation of Friends of DC Public Library, Mended Hearts, Inc. and The George Washington University Cheney Cardiovascular Institute. “Sudden… Read More
Penn Researchers Host Meeting to Explore Systems Approach for Improving SCA Survival
PHILADELPHIA--Researchers from the Organizational Dynamics Program at the University of Pennsylvania hosted a meeting on April 29 designed to encourage participants to view survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurring outside hospitals from a perspective that challenges current thinking. Co-Chairs, Larry Starr, PhD, and Allan Braslow, PhD,… Read More
Call to Action: Ask Congress to Save the Rural and Community AED Program
Obama Proposes Eliminating Funds for Rural and Community AED Program A victim’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) more than doubles with immediate CPR and early defibrillation with an AED. Many rural areas and small communities cannot make the investment needed to protect their citizens from SCA. The federal government’s Rural and… Read More
Gene Variant May Predict Sudden Cardiac Death Risk for Blacks
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have pinpointed a common gene variant in blacks that may be associated with the development of life-threatening heart arrhythmias. The finding may help determine which patients are likely to benefit most from implantable cardio-defibrillators (ICDs). “Blacks are disproportionally affected by heart… Read More
Genetic Defects May Predict Sudden Cardiac Death Risk
Sudden cardiac death is always a shocking, tragic event, especially when it occurs at a young age. But, for the first time, scientists are unraveling how genetic defects can help predict the risk of dying suddenly in individuals with one of the leading causes of this unfortunate phenomenon. This knowledge could guide treatment and potentially… Read More
It's Time to Put the "Public" in Public Defibrillation
Many people say they would shy away from using a defibrillator. Boston, MA (PRWEB)--Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are the best—and often last—hope for people who collapse when their hearts lapse into a fast, irregular, and deadly heartbeat known as ventricular fibrillation. These shock-delivering devices are becoming a standard fixture… Read More
FDA Elevates Level of AED Recall
WASHINGTON -- The FDA has elevated the status of a recall of a semi-automatic external defibrillator series to class I -- the agency's most serious -- because of a defect that cancels the shock it is meant to deliver. Manufacturer Defibtech said in a statement that the Lifeline AED and ReviveR AED brands of the DDU-100 series with 2.004 software… Read More