Quick Action Saves Lives!

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Facts:

• It strikes without warning; killing 250 people a day in the UK
• It kills more people than lung cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined
• It can happen to anyone, even fit and healthy young people ( SADS)
• Together with CPR and defibrillation is the only way to re-establish the heart’s natural rhythm.
• Survival rates drop 7 – 10 % every minute without defibrillation
• CPR – is a temporary measure that maintains blood flow and oxygen to the brain. It will not return the heart to a normal rhythm.
• Only defibrillation can return a heart to a normal rhythm.
• Quick action by the first person on the scene can truly make a difference to saving a life
• 12 x young people a week in Britain die from undiagnosed heart problems.
• 600+ young 12-35-years-old a year in Britain die from SADS, sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (adult cot death)
• The majority of deaths related to the condition are the result of undiagnosed irregularities or abnormalities of the heartbeat, which are known as arrhythmias.

Every minute counts to SAVE A LIFE – remember your:

DR ABC’ - Danger,Response, AirwayBreathing and Circulation

Step 1 –Danger/ safe approach

Step 2 – Response / tap shoulders and ask ‘ can your hear me’.

Step 3 – Shout for Help

Step 4 – Airway/head tilt, chin lift

Step 5 Breathing/look, feel, listen –if the casualty is not breathing ask someone to call 999. Also ask for a external defibrillator (AED)*.

Step 6 CPR/ hands only, rate 100 to 120 compressions per minute Depth 5-6 cm

Early defibrillation*- Defibrillation is the only way to restart a heart in cardiac arrest

Early advanced care *- After defibrillation, an emergency team provides advanced cardiac care on scene, such as intravenous medication

Chain of Survival – represents the sequence of four events that must occur quickly to optimise a persons chance of surviving a cardiac arrest:

• Early access to care
• Early and effective CPR
• Early defibrillation
• Early advanced care

If CPR is started immediately, done effectively (by a trained person with the victim lying flat) and a defibrillator can be got to the victim within eight minutes, the majority of cases could be saved, without brain damage,” - Dr Ffion Davies, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Leicester Royal Infirmary, is the Trusts SADS expert.

A child/young adult should seen by a doctor if she/he has experienced below:

• Family history of unexpected, unexplained sudden death (under the age of 40).
• Do you get unusually short of breath during or shortly after exercise?(not explained by just being unfit!)
• Do you get palpitations (eg, heart racing fast, missing beats, fluttering sensation, irregular pulse rate, thumping sensation in chest)?
• Fainting as a result of emotional excitement/distress/startle?