What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heartbeat stops abruptly and unexpectedly. This usually is caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF), an abnormality in the heart's electrical system. When this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain the heart and the rest of the body, and the person collapses. In fact, the victim is clinically dead and will remain so unless someone helps immediately. A quick combination of CPR and defibrillation can restore life.

What is the difference between a SCA and a heart attack?
A heart attack is a condition in which a blood clot suddenly blocks a coronary artery, resulting in the death of the heart muscle supplied by that artery, unless the clot is opened within a few hours. Heart attack victims usually experience symptoms such as chest discomfort or pain and remain conscious. Most people who have a heart attack survive the event. Some will develop an SCA. Other people have an SCA independently from a heart attack and without warning signs. SCA results in death if it is not treated immediately.

Who can have a SCA?
SCA can strike persons of any age, gender, race, and even those who seem in good health, as evidenced by world class professional athletes at the peak of fitness. Many patients who may be at risk are not being identified, screened and given options for medical treatment.

Who has higher risk of having a SCA?
SCA often occurs in active people who seem to be healthy and have no known medical conditions. In these patients, SCA is the first indication of a heart condition. However, some people can be identified in advance as being at risk for SCA. Risk factors include:

• Previous heart attack
• Coronary artery disease (and risk factors for CAD including smoking, high blood pressure,
  diabetes, elevated LDL cholesterol, family history of heart disease, sedentary lifestyle)
• Heart failure from other causes
• Abnormal heart rate or rhythm (arrthythmia) of unknown cause
• Episodes of fainting of unknown cause
• Low ejection fraction (EF) (<35%).

What is an ejection fraction?
The ejection fraction (EF) is a measurement of how much blood is pumped by the verntricles with each heart beat. A healthy heart pumps 55 percent or more of its blood with each beat.

How can a SCA be treated?
SCA is treatable most of the time, especially when it is due to an electrical abnormality called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Immediate treatment includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of defibrillators. This treatment must be provided within moments of collapse to be effective, preferably within three to five minutes. Even the fastest emergency medical services may not be able to reach a victim this quickly. That is why prompt action by bystanders is so critical and why it is so important that more laypersons learn CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Subsequent care includes administration of medications and other advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) techniques by emergency medical personnel. In patients who have been successfully resuscitated but remain in a coma after cardiac arrest due to VF, mild hypothermia can improve the chances of survival with good brain function. SCA survivors should see heart specialists (cardiologists and electrophysiologists) for follow-up care.

How can SCA be prevented?
Living a healthy lifestyle--exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, maintaining a reasonable weight, and avoiding smoking--can help prevent SCA. Monitoring and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes is also important. If abnormal heart rhythms or arrhythmias are detected, they can be treated through implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy, use of medications such as ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, and catheter ablation.

How much time do I have for treatment of SCA?
You have only a few minutes to save the life of a SCA patient. Because the chance of surviving 10 % with every minute.

I know CPR. Isn’t it enough?
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the only definitive treatment for SCA is a defibrillation shock. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) works to pump oxygenated blood through the body and minimize brain damage for a short period of time, but it does not reverse SCA. When CPR is performed without defibrillation, it has minimal impact on SCA survival rates.

What is an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)?
An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a device that automatically analyzes heart rhythms and advises the operator to deliver a shock if the heart is in a fatal heart rhythm. AEDs are safe and will not shock anyone who is not in a fatal heart rhythm. Non-medical personnel can use AEDs safely and effectively with minimal training.

How does an AED work?
A computer inside the defibrillator analyzes the victim's heart rhythm. The device decides whether a shock is needed. Some devices shock the victim automatically if a shock is needed. Other devices require that the operator press a button to deliver the shock. The shock is delivered through pads stuck to the victim's bare chest. The shock stuns the heart, stopping abnormal heart activity, and allowing a normal heart rhythm to resume.

What does The American Heart Association (AHA) say about AEDs?
The AHA strongly supports having AEDs in public places such as shopping malls, airports etc. The AHA aslo advocates that all police cars, fire engines and all rescue vehicle should be equipped with an AED.

Why do we need AEDs? Can't we just call 112?
There is a very good chance emergency medical services (EMS) cannot respond fast enough to save someone in cardiac arrest, particularly in congested urban areas, high-rise buildings, in remote rural areas, or large facilities. In fact, the national average response time is 10-12 minutes, so even the best EMS responders could have difficulty arriving in time. Besides traffic, consider the time needed to make it through building security or in a crowded shopping mall with multiple escalators and all the way to a victim, for example.

Without early defibrillation, only 5 out of 100 SCA victims will survive. AEDs offer a practical way to save more lives because they are designed for use by nearly anyone. Widespread deployment of AEDs in public places gives SCA victims the best chance of survival.

Where would we place our AEDs?
The AED must be placed where it can support the 3-5 minute response time recommended by the AHA. Wherever your AEDs are placed, they should be visible and easily accessible.

What is the difference between AEDs and defibrillators commonly used on ambulances and in hospitals?
Defibrillators sometimes used on ambulances and in hospitals, and often seen on TV, are manual defibrillators. They are larger than AEDs and are designed to be used by qualified medical personnel with special training. In contrast, AEDs are smaller and computerized so that virtually any operator can use the device and simply follow the audio and visual prompts. The decision to shock or not to shock is determined by the device, not the operator.

What is CardiAid?
CardiAid is an Automated External Defibrillator (AED); easy-to-use device especially designed for public access use, to provide life-saving electroshock treatment for a patient having SCA.

Who can use CardiAid?
CardiAid was designed to be used by any motivated bystander, regardless of training. The devices are designed to advise the user about how to apply the device and whether or not to administer a shock. Training is important, however, particularly since almost all victims also need CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). CardiAid will advise the user to administer CPR, depending on the needs of the victim, and in these cases it is quite helpful to have CPR training.

Can a person without a medical education make a mistake when using CardiAid?
CardiAid was designed to be used by any person regardless of medical education. It directs the user with clear verbal and visual instructions and does not give shock unless it is needed. Because the user does not take the initiative, it is not possible for him/her to make a mistake.

Can any person purchase CardiAid?
There do not exist a limitation for buying CardiAid in most countries. In USA, AEDs are manufactured and sold under guidelines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA may require someone who purchases an AED to present a physician's prescription for the device.

What is CardiAid’s difference from other AEDs?
CardiAid Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is an outstanding product with its distinguishing features:

Reliable & Safe
CardiAid is designed to provide the highest level of safety for the patient and the user. CardiAid performs self-check daily, monthly and when the cover of the device is opened. This function enables CardiAid to be in-use without a problem whenever needed.

CardiAid also is equipped with features warranting both the patient’s and the user’s safety. CardiAid analyzes the heart rhythm of the patient with the most accurate technique and it is impossible to give shock if shock is not required. Using CardiAid is completely safe for the patient and the user.

Easy-to-Use with Clear Verbal and Visual Instructions
CardiAid directs the user with clear verbal and visual instructions from the beginning to the end of the whole process, including instructions reminding the user to call the emergency number and assisting the user through the reanimation process. With these clear instructions, CardiAid assures that the user follows all the necessary steps which are critical for the patient.

Highest Production Standards
CardiAid is produced in the production facilities of CardiaTech’s production partner with highest standards in France. Production and quality assurance processes are performed with the experience of years in medical devices industry.

Functional & Attractive Design
CardiAid has a design aimed to achieve simplicity which is very improtant for the user in a moment of emergency. CardiAid is designed to assist the user with both pictures, flashing lights of different colours and sound at the same time, thus maximizing the performance. The pictures are simple and explanatory, the flashing lights are designed to emphasize the pictures and buttons, with white flashing light showing the stage of the process and red flashing light only indicating the shock button. The status indicatior lights burn with universal colours: green and red, showing if there is any problem with the device, or not.

Accessories
CardiAid was designed taking all the possible scenarios the user may face into consideration. CardiAid is stored in its protection bag which was specially designed for CardiAid. The protection bag has a lens to enable the status indictor lights to be seen without opening the bag.

CardiAid has a special Wallmount which enables the CardiAid to be stored in a fix and easily visible place. This provides the user very valuable time in case of an emergency.

CardiAid is sold with an emergecy bag including a razor for removing rxcessive body hair, scissors for cutting the cloth, a respiratory mask and gloves for providing hygiene. This emergency bag is storen on the inside cover of CardiAid where it can be seen easily.

Strong After-Sale Customer Support
CardiaTech gives its customers a comprehensive after-sale support with experienced technical experts and customer representatives. Every product is registered and recorded to the database, and followed by CardiaTech during the whole life of the product.

Impressive Price Performance
CardiAid offers a chance to save a life by a product having all these features with the best price performance in the market.

Does a person need medical education to be able to use CardiAid?
No. CardiAid can be used by any person having basic life support knowledge.

Does CardiAid store data about the patient?
CardiAid saves the following data at every use:

• Date and time of use
• Patient’s ECG
• The number and time of shocks delivered

How can the data recorded in CardiAid be read?
Recorded data can be read by CardiaTech, authorized distributors or authorized service partners of CardiaTech. You should immediately contact one of these parties immediately after use.