Sudden Cardiac Arrest (or SCA) is something which is relatively uncommon in children, which makes it of course no less heartbreaking and utterly shattering to those families who have lost a child to SCA. Somewhere between seven and ten thousand children in the U.S. alone die of Sudden Cardiac Arrest each year, making this a health issue in the young which merits serious attention both by the medical community and by parents. There are a variety of factors at play in Sudden Cardiac Arrest in children, but regardless of whether or not your family history makes your child predisposed to a higher risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, it is always best to be prepared for such an incident should it ever happen.

A Zoll AED Plus is something which can be used to treat victims of SCA immediately; this is one of the treatments used by EMTs and other first responders to a call for medical help. The survival rates for SCA victims are very low; around 5%, but this number increases dramatically if the victim is able to receive help right away. With a ZOLL AED Plus available, you can begin helping your child even before an ambulance can make it onto the scene. They are in many cases literally lifesavers and of course, you can rest a little easier knowing that your child has some immediate treatment options in the event that they should suffer from an SCA while in or near the home.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in children most commonly happens while children are at play, especially strenuous activity such as sports. If your children play soccer, basketball or any other sport in your backyard or the park across the street, an Automated External Defibrillator is a must have item for your home (or any home, for that matter).

Simply put, a SCA is what happens when a disturbance occurs in the electrical currents from the brain which regulate the heartbeat occur. This disturbance result in a cessation of the heartbeat, leading to death quickly if help is not available. In fact, the victim is clinically dead as soon as the SCA happens – and without help such as an Automated External Defibrillator [ZOLL AED Plus] close at hand, the victim will remain so.

There are pother factors which can contribute to SCA in children; these include Commotio Cordis, which is usually caused by a sudden blow to the chest – this is an injury seen mostly in baseball (such as being struck in the chest by a baseball) and congenital heart conditions such as Long QT syndrome and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. If your family has a history of any kind of heart disease, it is even more vital to have an Automated External Defibrillator [Zoll AED Plus] in your home. These pieces of equipment save lives; maybe even those of your children.