October Is a Time to Raise Awareness About Sudden Cardiac Arrest

With spooky season upon us, there’s no better time to talk about something truly frightening: sudden cardiac arrest.

According to Heart & Stroke, approximately 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in Canada each year, and only 1 in 10 people survive. heartandstroke

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness, encourage preparedness, and help more people feel confident responding to a cardiac emergency.

Would you know what to do if someone collapsed in front of you? Learn the Skills. Be Ready to Respond.

What Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

Think of your heart as the engine of your body. In simple terms, it relies on two important systems working together: a pumping system that keeps blood moving and an electrical system that keeps the heart beating properly.

Sudden cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. Brain injury can begin within minutes, which is why every second counts.

So, what can you do?

That’s where CPR and an AED come in.

CPR uses chest compressions, and, when possible, rescue breath to manually help keep blood and oxygen circulating to the brain and other vital organs while you wait for emergency medical services.

An AED, or Automated External Defibrillator, takes care of the electrical side. It analyzes the heart’s rhythm and, if a shock is needed, delivers one to help the heart resume a normal heart rhythm.

Would You Know What to Do?

Many people recognize the words CPR and AED. But recognizing them is very different from knowing what to do in a real emergency.

When we talk about sudden cardiac arrest, you may hear the term “Chain of Survival.” Simply put for a bystander, the first links in the Chain of Survival focus on recognizing the emergency, activating EMS, starting CPR and using an AED.

1. Recognize the Emergency

Do you know what signs to look for?

A person experiencing cardiac arrest may:

• Suddenly collapse
• Be unresponsive
• Not be breathing or not be breathing normally

The sooner cardiac arrest is recognized, the sooner you can take action.

2. Call 911 / Activate EMS

Get emergency medical help on the way.

Call 911 and have someone retrieve an AED if one is available. Activating EMS as soon as possible means professional care is on its way while you begin helping the person.

3. Start CPR

Don’t wait. Start CPR as soon as you recognize cardiac arrest.

Chest compressions help keep blood circulating to the brain and other vital organs while you wait for emergency medical services and an AED.

4. Use an AED

This is where the two systems we talked about earlier come together.

CPR helps keep the blood moving, while an AED analyzes the heart’s electrical rhythm and delivers a shock if one is needed.

CPR + AED = a better chance of survival.

The important thing to remember is simple:

Recognize. Call. Compress. AED.

Turn Awareness Into Action

Watching a video or reading about CPR can help build awareness, but nothing can beat hands-on training. This gives participants an opportunity to practice skills and become more familiar with what they may need to do during an emergency.

F.A.S.T. Rescue provides first aid, CPR and AED training that combines knowledge with practical skills development.

You don’t have to work in healthcare to learn how to respond to an emergency. Whether you’re learning for your workplace, your family or simply because you want to feel prepared, CPR and AED training provides practical skills you can take with you anywhere.

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Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month is an opportunity to do more than raise awareness. It’s a reminder to consider if we would actually feel prepared to act if an emergency happened in front of us.

Learning CPR and how to use an AED can help turn awareness into preparedness.

Take the next step and get trained.

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