IA for Sudden Cardiac Arrest

One of the immediate action one should take includes:

1. CPR
2. Defibrillation

And all this should be administered withing 7 minutes. Any treatment after would be deemed not very useful is nothing was done within 7 minutes.

Extract from American Heart Association

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4741

"Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just four to six minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is reversible in most victims if it's treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. A victim's chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation"

The below is an extract from Mayo Clinic

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sudden-cardiac-arrest/DS00764/DSECTION=8

"Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical to treating sudden cardiac arrest. By maintaining a flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body's vital organs, CPR can provide a vital link until more advanced emergency care is available

DefibrillationAdvanced care for ventricular fibrillation typically includes delivery of an electrical shock through the chest wall to the heart. The procedure, called defibrillation, momentarily stops the heart and the chaotic rhythm. This often allows the normal heart rhythm to resume.
The shock may be administered by emergency personnel or by a trained citizen if a public-use defibrillator, the device used to administer the shock, is available. If you're not trained to use an automatic external defibrillator (AED), a 911 operator may be able to guide you in its use. Trained staff members at many public places are able to provide and use an AED."