Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. This typically causes victims to collapse, become unresponsive and stop breathing normally or altogether.
If this happens to someone at your workplace, you need to act fast. The National Safety Council says you should first call 911. Then:
- Ask someone to bring you an AED.
- Begin CPR. Administer 30 chest compressions, followed by two rescue breaths. “If you’re uncomfortable giving rescue breaths, you can perform chest compressions only at 100-120 compressions per minute,” NSC notes.
- Continue CPR until the victim wakes up, the AED is in your possession and ready to use, or emergency medical services arrive and take over.
“It’s so important for people to be trained in CPR and how to use an AED,” said Maria Cordova, program technical advisor for first aid training at NSC. “In those first few minutes, your actions can truly make the difference between life and death.”
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Go to nsc.org/firstaid to find more information.
