Questions to Ask

Some common questions people have about sudden cardiac arrest:

• What causes sudden cardiac arrest?
• Why is using a device to deliver an electric shock to the heart as soon as possible important?
• Are there early signs to watch for?
• Who can operate an automated external defibrillator, or AED?
• My ejection fraction (a measure of how well the heart is working) is low. How worried do I need to be of sudden cardiac arrest?
• What is the chance of having a sudden cardiac arrest if a family member had one?
• I've had sudden cardiac arrest. What is needed to prevent another one?
• If I've had SCA, what type of testing and long-term care do I need? Do my family members need to be tested?