Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) affects thousands of individuals across the United States annually. However, those who learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be able to improve the survival rate of SCA victims.
What Is SCA?
SCA occurs due to an electrical disturbance that interrupts the heart’s rhythm, according to Mayo Clinic. This may lead to an unexpected loss of the heart function, breathing, and consciousness, as blood will stop flowing throughout the body.
In addition, Mayo Clinic points out SCA represents a “medical emergency.” As such, if an SCA victim goes untreated, sudden cardiac death may occur within minutes.
How Often Does SCA Happen?
Cardiac arrest remains a “leading cause of death” in the United States, the American Heart Association (AHA) reports. More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents are recorded each year, the AHA notes, and the majority of individuals who suffer these incidents die.
Furthermore, the AHA states 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents take place in homes, which means SCA may impact a family member, friend or other loved ones.
What Can You Do to Assist SCA Victims?
Although SCA remains a major problem across the country, recent data shows many individuals lack the skills and training needed to aid SCA victims.
The AHA reports only 46 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive immediate help before advanced medical personnel arrives on the scene. Meanwhile, having the ability to administer CPR in the first few minutes after a person suffers SCA could significantly boost this individual’s chance of survival, the AHA states.
Ultimately, there are many things that you can do to assist an SCA victim.
If you encounter an SCA victim, call 911. By doing so, you’ll be able to ensure advanced medical personnel can arrive at your address and administer life-saving support.
For those who call 911, it is essential to provide the 911 operator with as much information as possible. It may be tough to stay calm, cool and collected and respond to the operator’s questions, but try to take a deep breath so you can do whatever you can to ensure emergency medical personnel are prepared to assist an SCA victim when they arrive.
Also, enrolling in CPR training could prove to be the difference between life or death for an SCA victim.
CPR classes will teach you how to administer CPR in any critical situation. Thus, these courses will show you how to assist an SCA victim as well as remain patient under pressure. This means you’ll be better equipped to aid an SCA victim and provide him or her with as much support as possible until emergency medical responders are available.
How Can You Sign Up for CPR Training in Southern California?
CPR training is available across Southern California, and SureFire CPR makes it simple for you to find a CPR class that matches your schedule.
SureFire CPR offers classes for students of all ages and skill levels, ensuring anyone can learn how to provide critical support to an SCA victim. Our courses focus on hands-on classroom lessons, providing an engaging and informative learning experience. As a result, you’ll be able to develop your CPR skills quickly.
To find out more about all of our CPR training programs, please contact us today at (888) 277-3143.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-cardiac-arrest/home/ovc-20164858
https://surefirecpr.com/cpr-certification/
https://surefirecpr.com/cpr-skills-lack-cpr-skills-impact-sca-victims-across-united-states/
