One of the biggest misconceptions of sudden cardiac arrest is to think that it won’t happen to you or a loved one. Sudden cardiac arrest does not discriminate against age, health, or gender, and because there are often no recognized warning signs, the first symptom could be death.
The Truth About Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest is the result of an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes the heart to stop abruptly. When a sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the body loses its complete ability to operate; the heart is unable to irrigate blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. Because of the severity of the situation, if help is not administered by a bystander, it is likely that the person will die within an average of 10 minutes. Therefore, CPR should be provided to a person suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest immediately, not only to increase their chance of survival but to also supply the brain with sufficient oxygen to preserve brain function. Additionally, an AED should be applied and used immediately, a medical professional is not required for the public to operate one.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack
There are many misconceptions about the differences between strokes, heart attacks, and sudden cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrests are due to electrical abnormalities and are mostly caused by other heart issues, whereas heart attacks are mostly due to a poor diet throughout life or a blood clot.
Heart attacks tend to originate from high cholesterol, which increases fatty buildup in the arteries, leading to congestion and blocking out oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart completely. Those going through a heart attack still have working brain and heart functions, which is not the case when undergoing a sudden cardiac arrest. However, heart attacks weaken the heart and may predispose people to a sudden cardiac arrest in the future.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest vs. Stroke
Strokes fit in a completely different category than both heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrests. Strokes have nothing to do with the heart and are mainly an occurrence that has to do with the brain and blood.
When a blood vessel that feeds the brain bursts or gets clogged, a stroke might occur.
- 1. SCA is the leading cause of death in the United States
- 2. SCA is the #1 killer of student-athletes
- 3. SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses
- 4. 1 in 25 US high schools can expect to have an SCA event each year
- 5. About 90% of people who experience out of hospital cardiac arrest die
- 6. Brain death starts to occur 3-4 minutes after a sudden cardiac arrest if there is no interference. After 9 minutes, the damage is permanent.
- 7. About 1000 Americans die daily from sudden cardiac arrest