Links given from the chain of survival What is the

Links given from the chain of survival What is the

Chain of Survival?

The American Heart Association is working to increase public awareness and support for a strong chain of survival for victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

The "chain of survival" is a sequence of actions that must be initiated as soon as a cardiac arrest is recognized in order to save the person’s life. Here are the four links in the chain of survival:

Early Access to Care

Upon recognizing the signs for heart attack or cardiac arrest, it’s important to act quickly and engage the emergency medical service (EMS) system immediately by calling 911 so that appropriate emergency personnel can be dispatched to the scene. If an EMS system isn’t quickly activated, a cardiac arrest victim has little chance of surviving.

Early Cardiopulmonary

Resuscitation (CPR)

If the victim is in cardiac arrest, call 911 immediately. Then start CPR by administering mouth-to-mouth breathing and chest compressions to provide the oxygen and blood flow needed by the heart and brain.

CPR is important because it can help sustain the victim until defibrillation (electric shock to the heart) can be provided.

Early Defibrillation

Defibrillation is the delivery of an electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. Early defibrillation is the only known therapy for cardiac arrests, most of which are caused by an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) called ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Cardiac arrest victims must receive defibrillation within seven to 10 minutes. Otherwise the person will die, because the chance of survival is reduced by 7 to 10 percent each minute that passes. Few attempts at resuscitation are successful after 10 minutes.

New, easy-to-use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) now make early defibrillation more possible, substantially strengthening this link in the chain of survival. The American Heart Association has set a goal of increasing cardiac arrest survival by shortening the time to defibrillation, placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the community, and increasing the number of lay rescuers trained in CPR and AED use.

The American Heart Association is working with businesses and other public facilities (such as airports, sports stadiums, shopping malls and other places where large numbers of people gather), encouraging them to purchase AEDs and train personnel in the use of AEDs and CPR.

Early Advanced Care

After defibrillation, many patients need highly trained medical personnel and equipment for advanced treatments, such as ventilation and intravenous drugs, on the scene and on the way to the hospital. Without them, some people may revert back to cardiac arrest.