About Heart-Safe
About Heart Safe
Traditionally, defibrillators are found only in ambulances and hospitals. But today the technology exists to have affordable defibrillators available wherever people gather. At these public locations, on-site personnel can operate defibrillators with minimal training.
The Heart-Safe Public Access Defibrillation Program is working to put these lifesaving devices, called Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), in public locations with a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Organizations that have the onsite protection of an AED have reported survival rates as high as 65%, in contrast to the 5% national survival rate for those who experience sudden cardiac arrest without access to a AED unit.
The goal of the Heart-Safe Program is to have AED's, along with trained responders in strategic locations throughout the region. This will ensure a prompt and efficient response in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Almost 40,000 Canadians die each year of sudden cardiac arrest. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?
It's a condition in which the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly due to a malfunction in the heart's electrical system. The malfunction that causes SCA is a life-threatening abnormal rhythm, or arrhythmia.
The most common arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation (VF). When in VF, the heart's rhythm is so chaotic (fibrillating) that the heart merely quivers, and is unable to pump blood to the body and brain. Once a heart has entered VF, Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurs.
What are the signs of SCA?
Within a matter of seconds, a victim loses his or her pulse, loses consciousness and the ability to breathe. Without immediate treatment from a defibrillator, 90-95% of SCA victims die.
Who can be affected by SCA?
Anyone. Although pre-existing heart disease is a common cause of cardiac arrest, many victims have never had a heart problem. Risk does increase with age.
How do you treat SCA?
A defibrillator is the only way to effectively treat SCA. Voltage stored by the defibrillator pushes electrical current through the heart by means of the electrodes placed on the chest. This brief pulse of current halts the chaotic activity of the heart, giving it a chance to start beating again with a normal rhythm. Delivering a shock that returns the heart to a normal rhythm is called defibrillation. For more information visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
What are the chances of surviving SCA?
- Early defibrillation is the key to surviving SCA
Survival rates for SCA are highest when defibrillation occurs within the first few minutes. The best chance of survival occurs when the defibrillation shock is given within the first three minutes of collapsing. - For every minute defibrillation is delayed, survival rates drop by about 7-10%, even if CPR is started immediately.
- The rate of survival for SCA victims averages less than 2% when defibrillation is delayed 10 minutes or more.
- If the heart isn't restarted within the first 4-6 minutes after the arrest, the victim may sustain irreversible brain damage.
- The average time it takes emergency crews to arrive is 6-12 minutes.
Survival rates for SCA are highest when defibrillation occurs within the first few minutes. The best chance of survival occurs when the defibrillation shock is given within the first three minutes of collapsing.