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Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month

By David Rusch

Oct. 23, 2013

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Most people know it’s breast cancer awareness month, but doctors also want to spread the word about an even bigger killer of women as well as men.

What you may not know is October is also Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month; and if you’re like 65 percent of Americans, you also may not know the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) — the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Think of your heart like a house. A heart attack is a plumbing problem with blood flow, but sudden cardiac arrest is like instantly losing power to your whole house.

Receiving immediate defibrillation or receiving immediate CPR are the only two things that we know can save somebody’s life.

Health care providers and emergency responders all agree that the best thing you can do as a potential cardiac arrest bystander is to learn CPR and know where the nearest emergency defibrillator (AED) is located. If you are a business owner, or work for a business, it is in your best interest to develop a cardiac emergency plan, which includes response duties, install AED's and have your employees trained in CPR. Combining CPR with early shocking of the heart significantly increases the chance of survival.

Cardio-Start is a local Milwaukee business that is dedicated to providing cardiac emergency planning, products, and services to all industries and facilities. Call (414) 418-7760 today to learn more about SCA and what you can do to prepare your facility.

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