How is sudden cardiac arrest treated?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) requires immediate treatment with a defibrillator. This device sends an electric shock to the heart. The electric shock may restore a normal rhythm to a heart that has stopped beating. To work well, defibrillation must be done within minutes of SCA. With every minute that passes, the chances of surviving SCA drop rapidly. As it often takes more than ten minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the scene, it is estimated that more than 95% of people who have sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) die before reaching hospital.
