Simply, cardiac arrest is when the heart no longer beats.  The heart's sole function is to circulate oxygenated blood throughout the body.  Without this oxygen, organs (including the brain) begin to die within 4-6 minutes.  Each minute that passes without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (or cpr) decreases the chance of survival by approximately 10%.  In even the best 911 system, it can take at least 5 minutes for first responders or an ambulance to arrive.  The victim of cardiac arrest needs for bystanders to recognize that a problem exists and get involved.  The steps below are a brief overview of cpr.  Callers to 911 will receive instructions over the phone to assist with cpr.  However, we believe that being trained prior to an emergency will help you remain calm and potentially save someone's life.  Medic offers public cpr classes.  Click here to learn about our classes.

Less than 20% of all victims of cardiac arrest in Mecklenburg County receive bystander cpr.  This lack of training or willingness to get involved costs people their lives.  Many callers to 911 are unwilling to perform cpr.  Some of them are concerned about hurting the patient.  Once cardiac arrest has occurred, the heart has stopped, and a person is essentially dead.  Without intervention, they will stay this way.  CPR, followed by the use of a defibrillator, will provide the best possible chance of surviving this condition. 

Sudden cardiac arrest can occur at anytime or anywhere.  It can be caused by heart disease, heart defects, or even trauma, such as electrocution or drowning.  With your help, we can save

CPR facts and statistics

• About 75 percent to 80 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so being trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.
• Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double a victim's chance of survival.
• CPR helps maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain and increases the amount of time that an electric shock from a defibrillator can be effective.
• Approximately 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital.
• Death from sudden cardiac arrest is not inevitable. If more people knew CPR, more lives could be saved.
• Brain death starts to occur four to six minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest if no CPR and defibrillation occurs during that time.
• If bystander CPR is not provided, a sudden cardiac arrest victim's chances of survival fall 7 percent to 10 percent for every minute of delay until defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation are successful if CPR and defibrillation are not provided within minutes of collapse.
• Coronary heart disease accounts for about 550,000 of the 911,000 adults who die as a result of cardiovascular disease.
• Approximately 330,000 of all annual adult coronary heart disease deaths in the U.S. are due to sudden cardiac arrest, suffered outside the hospital setting and in hospital emergency departments. About 900 Americans die every day due to sudden cardiac arrest.
• Sudden cardiac arrest is most often caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Cardiac arrest can also occur after the onset of a heart attack or as a result of electrocution or near-drowning.

**Facts from the American Heart Association