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| New Recommendations to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival |
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When someone's heart stops beating, every second counts.
"A cardiac arrest is where the very mechanical beating of the heart stops suddenly and that is an emergency that will be death producing if it’s not corrected in minutes."
Dr. Lance Becker sat on the committee that reviewed cardiac arrest procedures for the U.S. Institute of Medicine.
Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, although it can lead to one.
A heart attack is caused by a blocked artery that cuts off the blood supply to the heart muscle.
It's not necessarily deadly.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the rhythm of the heart is disrupted.
The chance of survival is less than six percent, when it happens outside the hospital setting.
To improve the odds, Dr. Becker says the study group issued recommendations that involve hospitals, emergency responders and the public.
"The most important thing for America is to have a full system that can start right out on the street."
The recommendations include more training so ordinary citizens can deliver cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, to get the heart started again.
They could also learn to use an automated external defibrillator, a machine that delivers an electrical shock to the heart in an effort to return it to its normal rhythm.
In addition, the study group wants to establish a national registry to monitor performance, identify problems, and track progress in treating cardiac arrest.
"It really includes the whole system of care with early recognition, early CPR, getting to the hospital, and then the data collection so that their end can see how well they are doing, and do they need to improve or strengthen their chain of response."
Right now, only about three percent of Americans get annual CPR training and even fewer know how to use a defibrillator.
Dr. Backer says because of increased incidents of cardiac arrest in developing countries, both governments and an international resuscitation group are also interested in finding ways to provide better care after cardiac arrest and save lives.
Carol Pearson, VOA News, Washington
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