Cardiac arrest—an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs, and other organs—is a leading cause of death.
- More than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States.
- When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby.
- Almost 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.
- CPR, especially if performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
- 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes.
- Unfortunately, only about 46% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest get the immediate help they need before professional help arrives.
Most often, citizens must perform CPR on a family member, friend, or co-worker. Learn how to perform proper compressions and use an AED in the precious moments before first responders arrive.