Cardiac Arrest

A Deadly Consequence of Heart Arrhythmias

By DrRich

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively. During cardiac arrest, the blood immediately stops circulating. Consciousness is lost within a few seconds, and unless blood circulation is restored within 5 to 10 minutes, death ensues. Cardiac arrest that leads to death is often called sudden death, or sudden cardiac death.

In the United States, about 300,000 people die each year from cardiac arrest.

CPR for Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest is most often caused by a cardiac arrhythmia, usually ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. When a person collapses in cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can often restore blood circulation enough to prevent death for several minutes.

Defibrillators for Cardiac Arrest

But long-term survival depends on stopping the cardiac arrhythmia by administering an electrical shock, using a device called a defibrillator. Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) are now commonly available in public places, such as malls, airports, stadiums and casinos. But for patients who are at especially high risk of sudden death, implantable defibrillators are available.