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About Cardiac Arrest

Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest, also known as SCA, is one of the leading causes of death world-wide. Here in Hong Kong, China, SCA causes thousands of deaths annually.

SCA can strike anyone at any time, including seemingly healthy people without a diagnosed heart condition. After people suffer SCA, they are unconscious, not breathing and have no pulse - they are clinically dead, with no organs receiving blood. If nothing is done to restore blood flow within 3-5 minutes, the brain will start to die. CPR is needed to prevent brain death, however, it cannot sustain the heart and brain forever.

Heart Attack
Occurs when the person remains conscious but complains of severe discomfort, including; chest pain spreading to the shoulders, neck and arms; dizziness, sweating, nausea; shortness of breath. The blood supply to part of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped due to a blocked blood vessel. If not treated immediately, the person could suffer from an SCA.

( Contributions from Mark LIAO )

Ventricular Fibrillation

Ventricular Fibrillation
In over 70-90% of all Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) cases, a lethal heart rhythm called Ventricular Fibrillation (v-fib) is present in the heart. This rhythm causes a quivering of the heart, making it "wobble" like jelly rather than pumping effectively. Even the best CPR cannot reverse this deadly heart rhythm. CPR is only a "holding technique", keeping the brain and heart alive until a defibrillator arrives.

As each minute passes, the chances of survival for a person in SCA, even if CPR is being preformed, drops by 10% unless a defibrillator is used to administer electric shocks and reverse this rhythm.

Treatment
The only effective method of treatment is to deliver electric shocks using a defibrillator. These shocks stun the heart, allowing the heart's natural pacemaker a chance to restore a normal heart rhythm.

The Chain of Survival

Established by the American Heart Association (AHA) the Chain of Survival features four important links. By following the Chain of Survival you can optimize a person's chances of survival from cardiac arrest. If any of the links are broken, the patient's chances of survival dramatically decrease.

  1. Early Access - Identifying an emergency and calling 999 in Hong Kong for an ambulance
  2. Early CPR - Starting CPR as this supplies oxygen to the heart and brain, keeping these organs alive until the ambulance arrives at the scene
  3. Early Defibrillation - Defibrillation by an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) stuns the heart, allowing the heart's natural pacemaker to take over the chaotic heart rhythm that is responsible for cardiac arrest.
  4. Early Advanced Care (ACLS) - Ambulancemen and paramedics take over care transferring the patient to hospital and into specialist care. This allows for advanced treatments to correct any life-threatening problems, including any that may have caused the cardiac arrest.

The Chain of Survival is all about time; by acting quickly you can help save victims of cardiac arrest.

Defibrillators and Cardiac Arrest

Easy to use and available to all Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) provide an integral service in saving the lives of cardiac arrest victims. Many thousands of cardiac arrest victims are saved world-wide by people deploying AED's.

To find out more please go to the section on Defibrillators (AED's)