110 HRES 648 IH: Supporting the goals and ideals of Sudden U.S. House of Representatives 2007-09-10 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 648 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 10, 2007 Mr. Issa submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day.

Whereas nationwide more than 325,000 Americans die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, which amounts to 900 people per day at a rate of one person every 90 seconds; Whereas more Americans die each year from sudden cardiac arrest than from cancer and car accidents combined; Whereas almost 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before they reach a hospital or obtain other emergency medical attention; Whereas 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests are caused by ventricular fibrillation, a heart rhythm variance for which defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are the only effective treatments; Whereas sudden cardiac arrest causes the brain to begin dying within four to six minutes of onset; Whereas for every minute that passes while a person is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, chances of survival decrease by 10 percent; Whereas after six minutes, according to studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic, the chance of resuscitating a sudden cardiac arrest victim is almost zero; Whereas although sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can prevent these deaths; Whereas AEDs enable medical and nonmedical rescuers to deliver a potentially lifesaving defibrillation to sudden cardiac arrest victims; Whereas the national sudden cardiac arrest survival rate without defibrillation and CPR is less than 5 percent; Whereas the Federal Government has already mandated every commercial airplane to have an AED on board; Whereas a sudden cardiac arrest event is 30 times more likely to occur in a school than on an airplane; Whereas on any given day, 20 percent of the population, both adults and children, occupy the Nation’s schools; Whereas an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 school-aged children die each year from sudden cardiac arrest; Whereas in the United States, one out of every 100,000 to 300,000 high school athletes will die each year from sudden cardiac arrest; Whereas in communities with strong public access defibrillation programs, the sudden cardiac arrest survival rate, when defibrillation and CPR are provided within the first three minutes, is up to 75 percent; Whereas education, training, and preparedness are critical factors in the ability to successfully save the life of a sudden cardiac arrest victim; and Whereas heightened public awareness of how critical time is in providing treatment to sudden cardiac arrest victims can help save lives: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the goals and ideals of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day; and (2)encourages awareness and education efforts on the subject of sudden cardiac arrest and the timely use of an automated external defibrillator and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.