While sudden cardiac arrest in a child or adolescent is rare—about 20,000 cases occur each year in the U.S.—the survival rate when it happens outside of a hospital is estimated to be under 20%.

Basic Life Support (BLS) is a set of simple, life-saving steps used to help someone whose heart has stopped beating. It includes skills like CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the use of an AED ...