How do I prepare to help someone suffering from SCA?

Oct 19, 2021

How do I prepare to help someone suffering from SCA?

1,000 people suffer from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each day in the United States. When a victim loses consciousness the lack of oxygenated blood can cause brain damage in only a few minutes. If you are in a situation where someone is experiencing SCA you can prepare to help them through CPR and an AED.

Most people call 9-1-1 and wait for them to arrive with the average ambulance in the United States taking up to eight minutes to arrive. If CPR isn’t performed or an AED isn’t used while you wait it can significantly decrease the victim’s chance of survival. Anyone, at any time and of any age can experience SCA. Performing CPR and using an AED can increase the chance of survival by 40 percent.

The Importance of CPR

Knowing how to perform CPR can save someone’s life. Without CPR, a person can die within eight minutes of losing consciousness. Each minute CPR isn’t performed the victim’s chance of survival decreases 10-15 percent.

CPR training can teach you the steps to take to ensure you are performing the most effective CPR and giving the victim the best chance of survival. CPR training can be done through in-person or online classes. In CPR classes you will learn:

How to recognize and respond to common emergencies
How to recognize and respond with CPR for adults and children
How to use and recognize the need for an AED

CPR should be performed until an AED is present.

The Importance of AEDs

Using an AED may sound intimidating but with visual and/or audio cues you can have confidence you are using it correctly and helping a victim survive SCA. The visual and/or audio cues will guide you step-by-step from placing the AED pads on the victim to delivering the shock, if needed. Fully automatic AEDs will deliver the shock automatically if the machine deems it necessary. Semi-automatic AEDs will have the rescuer deliver the shock. Once EMS arrives, they can take over with additional CPR and transporting the victim to a hospital.

You never know when you will be in a situation that requires CPR or the use of an AED so being prepared is the first step for increasing the survival odds for victims.