Cardiac arrest awareness

Kathryn Hawley

According to the American Heart Association, “over 320,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States. A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. Cardiac arrest is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat. With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs.” To survive a SCA, a person needs an automated external defibrillator (AED) within the first four to six minutes to be most effective in saving a life, http://www.stopcardiacarrest.org/. Online CPR Classes are available at http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr, 1-800-733-2767. Look into courses in your area that offer CPR classes as well as AED instruction. Know the location of the AED in your workplace, as an AED can increase the chances of survival.

Kathryn Hawley, RN & Health Educator, Nodaway County Health Dept.