AED

What Happens During Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with more than 300,000 people suffering from it every year. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs because of a condition known as ventricular fibrillation. Our heart has an electrical chamber which produces electrical impulses. These electrical impulses occur in a regular manner causing the heart to contract in a rhythmic manner. During sudden cardiac arrest, the electrical impulses are produced in an irregular manner, causing the ventricles, which are the lower chambers of the heart, to fibrillate instead of contracting.

As a result of this action, the ventricles cannot pump blood to other parts of the body. Lack of oxygen to the brain, makes the person unconscious. Unless immediate treatment is given by way of automated external defibrillator (AED), and that too within the first few minutes of the sudden cardiac arrest, the chances of the person surviving are very low. Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone at anytime.

Picture of an AED

Philips HeartStart FRx AED