The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.

University of Minnesota Medical School receives $18.8M grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust to provide AEDs across Minnesota

The grant provides statewide law enforcement agencies and first responders with devices that aim to increase cardiac arrest survival rates MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL--The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust announces an $18.8 million grant to the University of Minnesota Medical School. The grant aims to provide law enforcement officers and… Read More

New survey: Only six out of 10 adults feel comfortable taking charge and giving CPR

DALLAS, TX--New survey findings released by the American Heart Association found that while nine out of 10 adults believe cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR will improve someone’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest, four out of every 10 would still not initiate the lifesaving technique. More than  350,000 sudden cardiac arrests, or an abrupt… Read More

Summer safety starts with CPR

DALLAS, TX--Summer brings rest, relaxation and fun, but it can also be a time of increased risk for our hearts. Extreme heat may increase incidents of cardiac arrest and an average of 33 drownings occur in the U.S. each day, one-third of which are fatal.  Knowing cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR could be the key to saving someone from cardiac… Read More

Call-Push-Shock Partners urge the public to learn CPR and how to use AEDs to help save lives

PITTSBURGH, PA--Parent Heart Watch and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, co-sponsors of the Call-Push-Shock movement—along with 50 co-partners—urge the public to learn CPR and how to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. Their appeal comes during National CPR and AED Awareness Week,… Read More

Illinois Supreme Court agrees fitness centers may be liable if staff fail to use AED when needed

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled two state laws establish fitness centers can be obligated to use an automated external defibrillator if a patron is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, and failure to do so can be considered willful and wanton misconduct. Justice Michael Burke wrote the 6-0 opinion issued May 19; Justice Robert Carter took no… Read More

Requiring CPR/AED training in schools can improve OHCA survival rates

Researchers found higher rates of bystander CPR/AED use in states with education laws enacted WASHINGTON, D.C.-- States with laws requiring CPR/ automated external defibrillator (AED) training in high school have higher rates of bystander CPR (BCPR) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) than states with no CPR education laws, according to a… Read More

Montana ECC Symposium

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation attended the 2022 Montana Emergency Cardiovascular Care Symposium in Bozeman, MT, on May 20-21.  Presentations included: Citizenship and Survivorship: Psychosocial Implications of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, by Katie Dainty, PhD, MSc, University of Toronto State of the State ECC System Report by Bret Birrer, MD… Read More

Air pollution linked to deadly heart rhythm disorder

MADRID, SPAIN -- Life-threatening arrhythmias are more common on days with highly polluted air, according to research presented today at Heart Failure 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The study was conducted in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), enabling the authors to track the… Read More

Black, Hispanic adults less likely to receive CPR, especially in public

CPR was least likely for Black and Hispanic adults in a less personal setting, such as on the street or in a public transportation center, according to findings presented Friday at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions in Reston, Virginia. Results improved at home or in public settings where… Read More

College athletes rarely develop heart problems one year after having COVID-19

College athletes who contract COVID-19 and return to playing sports have a low risk of developing life-threatening heart problems, according to new research that suggests stringent cardiac testing isn't necessary. The research, published Thursday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, followed up on a related 2021 study that… Read More