Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel

When a person’s heart suddenly stops, the people already in the room decide whether they survive. Nine out of ten people who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital die, often within minutes, and the chance of survival drops by 7 to 10 percent for every minute without CPR or a shock from a defibrillator. An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is built so that anyone can use it, but only if someone recognizes what is happening and acts fast.

This course prepares behavioral health and substance use treatment staff to respond to sudden cardiac arrest. It explains what cardiac arrest is and how it differs from a heart attack, why clients who use opioids or stimulants carry real risk, and how to recognize cardiac arrest, including the gasping that is so often mistaken for breathing. It walks through calling for help, starting CPR, and using an AED step by step, then covers special situations such as a wet chest, a child, and a suspected opioid overdose. The course closes with what a facility AED program needs under New Jersey law, including certification, maintenance, and notifying local EMS, along with three short case studies. It is not a CPR or AED certification and does not replace hands-on training.