Survival from SCA is not guaranteed. When a cardiac arrest triggered by ventricular fibrillation occurs out of hospital, the chances of survival are as low as 2% depending on which country you are in.

Seattle and King County in the American state of Washington have one of the highest survival rates in the world – above 50%. Most communities have no protocols in place to measure how well they manage out of hospital cardiac arrests. A Resuscitation Academy established in Seattle has developed a comprehensive 10 Step Program to help the world increase survival rates. The Global Resuscitation Alliance (GRA) is committed to taking the life-saving messages of the Ten Programs to the world.

The Chain of Survival is a critical feature of the Global Resuscitation Academy’s strategy to save lives.

Survival from out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest is extremely variable throughout the United States with high survival rates of over 50% in Seattle and King County Washington, and low survival rates in other major communities. Even more fundamental is the fact that only 40 communities in the US have rigorously measured and reported their survival rates. Most communities have no idea how they are performing in terms of managing sudden cardiac arrest. Why is this? There are answers. As proven in Seattle and King County, managers and directors of EMS systems can learn the steps they need to take to improve survival.