The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
“Double shock” from two defibrillators could save more lives
The first-of-its-kind study included 4,000 Ontario paramedics over four years A new study funded by Heart & Stroke, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), suggests that using two defibrillators to deliver a sequential or “double” shock to the heart and switching standard pad positions by first responders could improve… Read More
Lucid dying: Patients recall death experiences during CPR
One in five people who survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest may describe lucid experiences of death that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious and on the brink of death, a new study shows. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and elsewhere, the study involved 567 men and women whose hearts… Read More
Ward Hamilton recognized as AHA 2022 Resuscitation Champion of the Year
The ReSS Champion Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated commitment to the field of resuscitation science, through championing research and/or clinical improvements, supporting resuscitation scholars, and serving as a passionate advocate for our field. This award is designated for an individual who is not a full-time healthcare… Read More
Prioritizing interventions to reduce caregiver burden among racially and ethnically diverse co-survivors of cardiac arrest survivors in the United States
About 1,000 families are affected by out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) each year in the United States. A recent AHA Scientific statement on CA survivorship[1] and prior research[2] indicates co-survivors—close family members of CA survivors—suffer from psychological distress at an equal, if not greater extent, due to witnessing the CA, fear of… Read More
Duke-NUS researchers find polluting particles in the air are linked to cardiac arrests
Research in Singapore confirms a link between tiny particulates in air pollution and sudden cardiac arrests in the general population. SINGAPORE -- Small particles in air pollution in Singapore might have caused sudden cardiac arrests in some people who were not in hospital but simply going about their normal lives, according to scientists at… Read More
CPR education in public housing communities may improve cardiac arrest survival
Cardiac arrests that occurred in public housing communities accounted for one-third of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Vienna and Copenhagen during a seven-year period. That jumped to more than 60% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests when also considering areas within a 104-yard radius of public housing communities. The findings… Read More
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation designated as a 2022 top nonprofit
Thank you to everyone who wrote a review of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. Thanks to your efforts, we have been designated as a top nonprofit in the 2022 Top-Rated List by GreatNonprofits, the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback. As one reviewer said, “My husband had a SCA in May 2019 at 47. A few months after, he was really… Read More
Blacks, Hispanics less likely than Whites to receive bystander CPR
KANSAS CITY, MO--Black and Hispanic individuals are less likely to receive potentially life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from bystanders compared to White individuals, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Previous reports have shown racial and ethnic disparities in survival for cardiac… Read More
After cardiac arrest, does sedation improve the chance of surviving and regaining normal brain function?
The findings of a new study suggest that sedation of patients recovering from cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit may have protective effects on the brain. Key takeaways Administering the sedatives propofol or dexmedetomidine when circulation is restored following cardiac arrest improved survival and brain function in mice The findings… Read More