Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and Citizen CPR Foundation Launch Video Contest to Raise Awareness About the Simple Things Anyone Can Do to Save a Life
Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) September 21, 2017 -- Sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The sudden, unexpected, pulseless condition strikes about 350,000 people outside hospitals each year in the U.S., including 7,000 children. On average, less than 10 percent of victims survive.
Effective treatment requires immediate response from bystanders who recognize the emergency, call 911, start CPR, and use the nearest automated external defibrillator. AEDs are lifesaving devices that can be used by anyone—even laypersons—to restore an effective heartbeat. Decreasing the time between the onset of cardiac arrest and treatment is critical. The likelihood of survival decreases by 10 percent with every passing minute after collapse.
To raise awareness about the importance of immediate intervention in sudden cardiac emergencies, the Citizen CPR Foundation and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation are jointly conducting the ECCU “Video Minute” Contest. The grand-prize winner will receive an automated external defibrillator—a $1,200 value.
“We encourage film students, schools, colleges, youth sports teams, places of worship, and other interested parties to develop videos, submit their entries for consideration, and find out how they measure up against the competition,” said Vinay M. Nadkarni, MD, president of the board of the Citizen CPR Foundation.
Videos should be 90 seconds or less and should promote CPR and/or AED use by bystanders—or recognition of heart attacks, which can lead to cardiac arrest. A panel of reviewers from both organizations will evaluate the videos on the basis of adherence to the theme, creativity, production quality, and overall impact.
Entries are due October 23, 2017. The winner and four runners-up will be announced at the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update, December 5-8, 2017 in New Orleans. Entries will be shared on both nonprofit websites and social media channels.
“Only four in 10 sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR and only one in 10 is treated with an automated external defibrillator by a bystander. Overall, survival rates are tragically low,” said Mary M. Newman, MS, president of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. “But when bystanders intervene with CPR and AEDs before EMS arrives, survival rates are as high as 50 percent. Our goal is to raise awareness about the simple things anyone can do to help save a life.”
To view contest rules and past winners, click here.
About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a national community benefit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and saving lives. Programs include educational campaigns for schools and colleges and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Network, an online community that provides peer support and opportunities for survivors and family members affected by cardiac arrest to participate in awareness, advocacy, and research initiatives.
About the Citizen CPR Foundation
The Citizen CPR Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives from sudden cardiac arrest by stimulating effective community, professional and citizen action. From December 5-8, 2017, the Citizen CPR Foundation will present the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update in New Orleans. ECCU 2017 will see 1,000 resuscitation professionals, CPR instructors, survivors, and community champions gather in one place to learn, share and inspire. CCPRF's founding partners are the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Carissa Caramanis, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, http://www.sca-aware.org, +1 724-934-0034, [email protected]
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