What is the cardiac chain of survival?
The cardiac chain of survival is a series of four critical steps. All four steps of the chain must be present to help ensure survival from sudden cardiac arrest. The four steps are: • Step one: Early access to care (calling 9-1-1 or another emergency number) • Step two: Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) • Step three: Early defibrillation • Step four: Early advanced cardiac life support, as needed The third step, delivering an electrical shock to the heart, which is known as defibrillation, is recognized as the most critical step in restoring cardiac rhythm and resuscitating a victim of SCA.
