IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 648 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day. 

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; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 648 IH 

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 surVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:55 Sep 11, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR648.IH HR648

bajohnson on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 648 IH 

vival 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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Sudden 

3 Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day; and 

4 (2) encourages awareness and education efforts 

5 on the subject of sudden cardiac arrest and the 

6 timely use of an automated external defibrillator and 

7 cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 

Æ 


bajohnson on PROD1PC71 with BILLS