Suddenly, without warning,  a person loses their heartbeat, then lose consciousness and the ability to breathe. If a person does not receive help in the first five minutes of collapsing their chance of survivability decreases by 10% every minute……………..

Death from sudden cardiac arrest is not inevitable and positive intervention can increase a persons chance of surviving. CPR can make the difference between life and death and helps to to maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain before advanced medical intervention takes over.


Cardiac arrest, (also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest) is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively. Medical personnel refer to an unexpected cardiac arrest as a sudden cardiac arrest or SCA. A cardiac arrest is different from (but may be caused by) a heart attack, where blood flow to the muscle of the heart is impaired. Arrested blood circulation prevents delivery of oxygen to the body. Lack of oxygen to the brain causes loss of consciousness, which then results in abnormal or absent breathing. Brain injury is likely if cardiac arrest goes untreated for more than 5 minutes. For the best chance of survival and neurological recovery, immediate and decisive treatment is imperative.

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that, in certain situations is potentially reversible if treated early. When unexpected cardiac arrest leads to death this is called sudden cardiac death (SCD). The treatment for cardiac arrest is Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to provide circulatory support, followed by defribrillation if a shockable rhythm is present. If a shockable rhythm is not present after CPR and other interventions, clinical death is inevitable.

EMS & Associates offer a range of training courses to equip you with necessary skills and knowledge to deal with cardiac and cardiac related emergencies in everyday situations. Please click on the following links for further information:

Please note all Resuscitation techniques taught are fully compliant with the American Heart Association 2010 Guidelines for Resuscitation!

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