The heart stops beating and blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.
Meaning
“Cardiac” means “heart” and “arrest” means “to stop.”
For example, respiratory arrest means the same thing as “not breathing.”
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Cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack.
Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction that causes the heart to stop pumping.
However, a heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest can be sparked by almost any throw in of heart condition.
Below are some common causes of cardiac arrest in adults.
Bleeding and Shock
Shockis a complicated medical condition with several causes.
Shock is extremelylow blood pressure, low enough that the body’s organs are not receiving enough oxygen.
Structural Abnormalities
Structural abnormalities can lead to cardiac arrest in children.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can lead to arrhythmias, particularly during exercise.
Myocarditis is often caused byinfections, such asviral infectionsor bacterial infections.
Genetic Conditions
Some genetic conditions, particularly those that go undiagnosed, can lead to cardiac arrest.
For example, it can occur from a baseball or hockey puck hitting the chest.
The chance of survival decreases by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes without AED use.
Summary
Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency that causes an abrupt loss of heart function.
An AED sends an electric shock to the heart to attempt to restore a normal rhythm.
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