SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST FACTS

More than 250,000 Americans die each year from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

SCA takes more lives than stroke, accidents and Alzheimer's disease combined.

For every minute that elapses after SCA, the chances of survival diminish 10 percent.

Immediate defibrillation greatly increases the chance of survival of SCA.

Defibrillation is the only proven treatment for SCA.

The American Heart Association estimates that widespread availability and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) could save as many as 40,000 Americans each year.

The signs of SCA: someone is unconscious and not breathing normally.