October is Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month: Why it Matters

As the third leading cause of death in the U.S., sudden cardiac arrest or SCA claims up to 450,000 American lives each year. “It is critical to raise awareness about SCA because it can strike anyone, anytime and anywhere — and is often fatal if immediate medical attention is not provided,” says nurse specialist Yvonne Leippert, RN, MS, CCRN. “Learning about SCA and how to take action could save someone’s life.” And, with October dedicated to raising SCA awareness, Leippert advises here what sudden cardiac arrest is, who’s at risk and what you can do to help prevent a death.

What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?
SCA is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating. Left untreated, SCA can be fatal within only minutes. Without aid, just nine percent of out-of-hospital SCA victims survive a cardiac arrest. In fact, for each minute that passes without treatment, the SCA survival rate drops by 10%. Cardiac arrest is often confused with a heart attack, but cardiac arrest is not a heart attack. SCA is primarily an electrical or structural problem affecting the heart’s rhythm and a heart attack is a result of blocked arteries impeding blood flow. Affecting up to 70% of cardiac arrest victims, the most common cause of SCA is a heart rhythm irregularity (arrhythmia) called ventricular fibrillation or v-fib.

Who is at Risk for SCA?
The likelihood of sudden cardiac arrest tends to increase with age and occurs more frequently in men. But SCA can affect people of all ages and those who appear to be healthy. A history of previous heart attack or heart disease and such lifestyle and external factors as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, inactivity, substance abuse, a blow to the chest or inflammation of the heart muscle due to infection, can raise the risk, as well.

Are There Warning Signs?
Although prior warning signs of SCA, including chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and palpitations (irregular heartbeat) can happen an hour or even weeks prior to a cardiac arrest, SCA can occur with no previous symptoms, whatsoever. It is likely that a person is in cardiac arrest if they collapse suddenly and lose consciousness; are not breathing or are gasping for air; are not responding to shouting or shaking; or do not have a pulse.

If Someone is in Cardiac Arrest, What Should You Do?
If you see someone collapsing and suspect SCA, swift action is critical. These are the emergency steps to follow:

• Call 911. Dial emergency services immediately to ensure expert help is on the way and put your phone on speaker mode to follow the 911 dispatcher’s instructions.
• Begin CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other organs. Press hard and fast (100-120 pumps per minute) in the center of the chest. Continue until paramedics arrive or the person regains consciousness.
• Use an AED. An automated external defibrillator or AED provides an electric shock to restart the heart and restore its normal rhythm. If an AED is nearby and readily accessible, grab it and follow the audio or visual instructions.

Recognized for Improving Outcomes
Stony Brook University Hospital is nationally recognized for its commitment to improving cardiac arrest survival rates and received the Get With The Guidelines® — Resuscitation Gold award from the American Heart Association for its care of adults, children and neonates/infants. Stony Brook is the only hospital on Long Island to have achieved the Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) & Resuscitation designation from the American College of Cardiology and the only facility on LI to have received the past two back-to-back accreditations — demonstrating that we provide advanced cardiac care, even in the most complex cases.

For more information, call (631) 44-HEART or visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu.