Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Topic Guide

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are used when a person has had a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. It is a machine that instructs the user through the steps to defibrillate the victim. As more and more AEDs are placed in public places, more lives are saved from sudden cardiac arrest.

Choking is a blockage of the upper airway by food or other objects, preventing a person from breathing effectively. Choking can cause a simple coughing fit or complete blockage of the windpipe resulting in death.

Drowning risks include: lack of supervision of infants and children around water; alcohol consumption; inability to swim; medical emergency in the water such as heart attack; stroke; or seizure; or fatigue or exhaustion while swimming. Treatment and prognosis of a drowning victim depend on the circumstances surrounding the drowning emergency.

A heart attack is an interruption in blood flow to the heart muscle. Arterial plaque rupture is often the cause of a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack may include chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea. Emergency heart catheterization and thrombolytic therapy may be used to treat a heart attack.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) usually causes death if it is not treated within minutes. Some of the causes of sudden cardiac death include ventricular fibrillation, medication or drug abuse/overdose, heart attack, physical stress, inherited disorders, and changes in the structure of the heart. Automatic external defibrillator (AED), if available is the best immediate treatment for sudden cardiac arrest.