Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)

Sudden cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in this country, responsible
for an estimated 250,000 deaths each year. The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that up to 50,000 lives could be saved annually with the prompt use of AED's. Nationwide, less than 5% of sudden death victims survive. In communities with strong response systems, survival rates have reached 30-50%.

Our mission is to save lives by ensuring the widespread availability of AEDs in Kent County and to train our citizens in their use.  In SCA, the heart suddenly stops contracting normally. The electrical impulses that control the rhythm of the heart become so disorganized that the heart begins to quiver and can no longer effectively pump oxygenated blood to the brain and the body's vital organs. This electrical pattern is called ventricular fibrillation (VF).  Death occurs within minutes if VF is not terminated and adequate circulation restored. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) cannot reverse ventricular fibrillation but helps provide circulation until the chaotic cardiac rhythm most often seen in SCA victims; prompt external defibrillation is the only known effective treatment to halt sudden cardiac arrest.