Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with a heart disease. It can come on suddenly or in the wake of other symptoms. Cardiac arrest is often fatal if appropriate steps aren’t taken immediately.

Each year in the United States, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital setting. In cardiac arrest, death can result quickly if proper steps aren’t taken immediately. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is performed and a defibrillator is used to shock the heart and restore a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes.

CARDIAC ARREST CAN STRIKE WITHOUT WARNING

The following summary was obtained from published information by the American Heart Association.

Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with a heart disease. It can come on suddenly or in the wake of other symptoms. Cardiac arrest is often fatal if appropriate steps aren’t taken immediately.

Each year in the United States, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital setting. In cardiac arrest, death can result quickly if proper steps aren’t taken immediately. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is performed and a defibrillator is used to shock the heart and restore a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes.

Cardiac arrest can strike without warning. Here are the signs:

• Sudden loss of responsiveness. The person doesn’t respond, even if you tap him or her hard on the shoulders, or ask loudly if he or she is OK. The person doesn’t move, speak, blink, or otherwise react.
• No normal breathing. The person isn’t breathing or is gasping for air.

What to Do:

If you have tried and failed to get the person to respond, and you think the person may be suffering cardiac arrest, here’s what to do:

• Yell for help. Tell someone nearby to call 911 and UMB Police at 410-706-6882. Ask that person or another bystander to bring you an AED if there is one nearby. Time is of the essence.
• Check breathing. If the person isn’t breathing or is gasping, administer CPR.
• Give CPR. Push hard and fast. Push down at least 2 inches at a rate of 100 to 120 pushes a minute in the center of the chest, allowing the chest to come back up to its normal position after each push.
• Use an AED. Use the AED as soon as it arrives. Turn it on and follow the prompts.
• Keep pushing. Continue administering CPR until the person starts to breathe or move, or until someone with more advanced training takes over, such as an EMS team member.

AEDs are located throughout UMB’s campus. The majority of the AED models on UMB’s campus are LIFEPAK CR Plus or LIFEPAK 1000 Defibrillators, but a few LIFEPAK Express AEDs also are present. 

Please see the following links for additional information:

UMB AED Locations

UMB AED Coordinator Program

LIFEPAK CR Plus Operating Instructions

LIFEPAK CR2 Operating Instructions

LIFEPAK 1000 Operating Instructions

LIFEPAK Express Operating Instructions