How quickly should I receive treatment for cardiac arrest?

How quickly should I receive treatment for cardiac arrest?

Cardiac arrest can be fatal if it lasts longer than 8 minutes without CPR. Brain damage can happen after just 5 minutes.

Cardiac arrest treatment should start right away, even if you’re not in the hospital. If you’re in a public area, like a school, mall or sports venue, CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) can help.

An AED is a device that a person without medical training can use to shock someone else’s heart. The AED confirms there’s no heartbeat before delivering the shock. Ideally, one person should use the AED while another calls 911.