Is it a Heart Attack or Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Did you know that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States? Unfortunately, most people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital do not get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a bystander, which significantly lessens their chances of survival; national statistics have shown that only 15 to 30 percent of people who experience sudden cardiac arrests outside of hospitals ever receive bystander CPR. When available, resuscitation saves many lives.
When people are asked why they would not give CPR, a very common answer is that they never received training. Other concerns, such as doing harm to the person, doing harm to oneself, legal risks, or concerns about infection, often diminish once people learn proper CPR techniques.
CPR is easy to learn, and is taught to tens of thousands of people each year. Very early next year, Fearrington Cares and FHA will be providing opportunities to learn bystander CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use. More than 85 percent of cardiac arrests take place at home. So take the challenge. If you don’t know CPR, learn CPR and gain the confidence in knowing that if you are ever needed, you too can save a life! Watch for our training dates in the December FHA Newsletter and on our website.
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| At The Gathering Place |
Fearrington Cares and FHA have partnered to purchase an AED device, which is mounted in the new well-marked white cabinet on the wall in the front vestibule at The Gathering Center, near the water cooler and the small meeting room. If you find yourself at The Gathering Place and witnesses someone in sudden cardiac arrest, immediately Call 9–1–1, or have someone else call 9–1–1. If two people are present, one can provide CPR while the other calls 9–1–1 and gets the AED unit.
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| Immediately Call 9-1-1 Then Send Someone to Get the AED |
If you have received formal CPR training – all the better; however, such training is not a requirement for stepping up to begin basic CPR. The American Heart Association recommends that untrained bystanders perform compression-only CPR to “buy time” until emergency medical personnel arrive. When you call 9-1-1, the dispatcher will give you instructions over the phone on how to do chest compressions.
The 9-1-1 dispatcher will also ask if there is an AED device nearby, and will walk you through the steps over the phone until EMS arrives. This unit is fully automated, talks to you giving instructions on its use, and will not allow you to make a mistake in its use.
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| STEPS: Call 9-1-1, Use Hands Only CPR, Use Automated AED, EMTs Arrive to Stabilize Victim |
NORTH CAROLINA GOOD SAMARITAN LAW provides immunity from civil liability for those who provide CPR and act in good faith when using an AED to attempt to save a life. This immunity includes untrained persons who provide “Bystander CPR” and anyone who chooses to use the AED under the instruction from the 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Dispatcher.
