[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 25 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 25

  Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Sudden Cardiac Arrest 
                           Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 22, 2009

 Mr. Bilbray (for himself, Mr. Issa, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Sutton, and Mr. 
   Filner) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Sudden Cardiac Arrest 
                           Awareness Month''.

Whereas sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States;
Whereas sudden cardiac arrest takes the lives of more than 250,000 people in the 
        United States each year, according to the Heart Rhythm Society;
Whereas anyone can experience sudden cardiac arrest, including infants, high 
        school athletes, and people in their 30s and 40s who have no sign of 
        heart disease;
Whereas sudden cardiac arrest is extremely deadly, with the National Heart, 
        Lung, and Blood Institute giving the disease a mortality rate of 
        approximately 95 percent;
Whereas the American Heart Association states that, to have a chance of 
        surviving a sudden cardiac arrest, victims must receive a lifesaving 
        defibrillation within the first 4 to 6 minutes of the attack;
Whereas for every minute that passes without a shock from an automated external 
        defibrillator, the chance of survival decreases by approximately 10 
        percent;
Whereas lifesaving treatments for sudden cardiac arrest are effective if 
        administered in time;
Whereas according to joint research by the American College of Cardiology and 
        the American Heart Association, implantable cardioverter defibrillators 
        are 98 percent effective at protecting people at risk for sudden cardiac 
        arrest;
Whereas according to the American Heart Association, cardiopulmonary 
        resuscitation and early defibrillation with an automated external 
        defibrillator more than double the chances that a victim will survive;
Whereas the Yale-New Haven Hospital and the New England Journal of Medicine 
        state that women and African-Americans are at a higher risk than the 
        general population for dying as a result of sudden cardiac arrest, yet 
        this fact is not well known to people at risk;
Whereas there is a need for comprehensive educational efforts designed to 
        increase awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and related therapies among 
        medical professionals and the greater public in order to promote early 
        detection and proper treatment of this disease and to improve quality of 
        life; and
Whereas the Heart Rhythm Society and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition are 
        preparing related public awareness and education campaigns on sudden 
        cardiac arrest to be held each year during the month of October: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of ``National Sudden 
        Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month'';
            (2) supports efforts to educate people about sudden cardiac 
        arrest and to raise awareness about the risk of sudden cardiac 
        arrest, the identification of warning signs, and the need to 
        seek medical attention in a timely manner;
            (3) acknowledges the critical importance of sudden cardiac 
        arrest awareness to improving national cardiovascular health; 
        and
            (4) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        this month with appropriate programs and activities.
                                 <all>