Twenty years in the battle against sudden cardiac death: progress, pitfalls, and prospects for the future.
4 affiliations
- 1Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, United States.
- 2University of Texas Southwestern, United States.
- 3Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, United States.
- 4Emergency Medicine, EMS, and Public Health, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX 75390, United States.
Abstract
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate intervention from lay responders. To address this critical need, the national Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF) was established in 2005 to raise awareness, promote community engagement, and support survivors. The history of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, and public response programs illustrates decades of progress in resuscitation science and has helped lay the groundwork for the creation of SCAF. In addition to serving as a trusted information hub, SCAF leads several key initiatives. The Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance™ provides an online community for those affected by cardiac arrest, offering connection, support, and resources. The Call-Push-Shock campaign promotes three lifesaving steps to address out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: call 911, perform CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). While SCA remains a major cause of death, significant progress has been made in public education and response. Technological innovations such as dispatcher-assisted CPR, the widespread placement of AEDs, and improved EMS and cardiac arrest registries, have all strengthened the chain of survival. Public understanding has also improved, with the media increasingly distinguishing SCA from heart attacks, thanks in part to SCAF's tireless advocacy. As SCAF marks its 20th anniversary, the organization celebrates two decades of progress and looks ahead with optimism. Its mission remains steadfast: to raise awareness, empower bystanders to act, support survivors, and advance innovations that reduce preventable deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.
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BibTeX
@article{newman2026twenty,
title = {{Twenty years in the battle against sudden cardiac death: progress, pitfalls, and prospects for the future.}},
author = {Mary M Newman and Gina Peattie and Arvind Subramanian and Henry Jampel and Joseph Farrell and Raymond L Fowler},
journal = {Resuscitation plus},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1016/j.resplu.2026.101401},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42857572},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Twenty years in the battle against sudden cardiac death: progress, pitfalls, and prospects for the future.
AU - Mary M Newman
AU - Gina Peattie
AU - Arvind Subramanian
AU - Henry Jampel
AU - Joseph Farrell
AU - Raymond L Fowler
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/02
JO - Resuscitation plus
DO - 10.1016/j.resplu.2026.101401
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42857572
AB - Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate intervention from lay responders. To address this critical need, the national Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF) was established in 2005 to raise awareness, promote community engagement, and support survivors. The history of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, and public response programs illustrates decades of progress in resuscitation science and has helped lay the groundwork for the creation of SCAF. In addition to serving as a trusted information hub, SCAF leads several key initiatives. The Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance™ provides an online community for those affected by cardiac arrest, offering connection, support, and resources. The Call-Push-Shock campaign promotes three lifesaving steps to address out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: call 911, perform CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). While SCA remains a major cause of death, significant progress has been made in public education and response. Technological innovations such as dispatcher-assisted CPR, the widespread placement of AEDs, and improved EMS and cardiac arrest registries, have all strengthened the chain of survival. Public understanding has also improved, with the media increasingly distinguishing SCA from heart attacks, thanks in part to SCAF's tireless advocacy. As SCAF marks its 20th anniversary, the organization celebrates two decades of progress and looks ahead with optimism. Its mission remains steadfast: to raise awareness, empower bystanders to act, support survivors, and advance innovations that reduce preventable deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.
SN - 2666-5204
ER -