Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is a sudden and unexpected loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. It occurs when the heart's electrical system, responsible for coordinating the heartbeat, malfunctions, leading to irregular or rapid heartbeats (arrhythmias). The most common cause of cardiac arrest is a specific type of arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation (VF), in which the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) quiver instead of pumping blood effectively.

Medical emergency

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency and, if not treated immediately, can lead to death within minutes. It is important to differentiate cardiac arrest from a heart attack, although the two conditions can be related. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, while cardiac arrest is the result of an electrical problem causing the heart to stop pumping blood.

Causes

Cardiac arrest can be caused by various factors, including:

• Heart-related causes: coronary artery disease, enlarged heart (cardiomegaly), valvular heart disease, and congenital heart disease.
• Electrical problems: abnormalities in the heart's electrical system (such as long QT syndrome or Brugada syndrome) can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias.
• Trauma: accidents, injuries, or blunt force to the chest can cause cardiac arrest.
• Drug overdose: certain medications or drugs, especially when taken in excessive amounts, can lead to cardiac arrest. These include certain prescription medications, illegal drugs (such as cocaine), and even some over-the-counter medications.
• Drowning, choking, or asphyxiation: lack of oxygen due to these events can cause the heart to stop.
• Severe electrolyte imbalances: imbalances in minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium can affect the heart's electrical system and lead to cardiac arrest.
• Hypothermia: extremely low body temperature can cause the heart to stop.

Symptoms

Symptoms of cardiac arrest usually occur suddenly and without warning. They may include:

• Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders)
• No normal breathing (gasping for air or not breathing at all)
• No pulse or heartbeat

Some individuals may experience dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, or palpitations before the onset of cardiac arrest. However, these symptoms are not always present.

Treatment

Immediate treatment for cardiac arrest is crucial for survival called basic life support or BLS. The primary steps are:

• Call for emergency medical help (such as 911 in the United States)
• Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to maintain blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain and other vital organs
• Use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if available to deliver an electric shock to the heart and attempt to restore a normal heart rhythm

Advanced life support

Emergency medical personnel may also provide advanced life support measures, including advanced airway management, intravenous medications, and manual defibrillation.

Prevention

Preventing cardiac arrest involves addressing and managing known risk factors, such as:

• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle: regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can help lower the risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest.
• Managing existing health conditions: monitoring and treating conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can reduce the risk of cardiac arrest.
• Regular check-ups: routine medical check-ups can help identify potential risk factors or conditions that could lead to cardiac arrest.
• Avoiding drug abuse: using drugs, especially stimulants like cocaine, can significantly increase the risk of cardiac arrest.
• Knowing your family history: if you have a family history of heart disease, sudden cardiac arrest, or other heart-related conditions, inform your doctor so they can assess your risk and recommend appropriate preventive measures.

In some cases, people with known heart problems or a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest may be advised to have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed. This device can detect dangerous heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat.

Summary

Cardiac arrest is the sudden cessation of the heart's pumping action, possibly due to a heart attack, respiratory arrest, electrical shock, extreme cold, blood loss, drug overdose, or a severe allergic reaction.

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Cardiovascular disease A-Z

Most common cardiac diseases

• Cardiac arrhythmia‎
• Cardiogenetic disorders‎
• Cardiomegaly‎
• Cardiomyopathy‎
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation‎
• Chronic rheumatic heart diseases‎
• Congenital heart defects‎
• Heart neoplasia‎
• Ischemic heart diseases‎
• Pericardial disorders
• Syndromes affecting the heart‎
• Valvular heart disease‎

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
• Acute decompensated heart failure
• Arteriosclerotic heart disease
• Athletic heart syndrome
• Atrial flutter
• Atrioventricular fistula
• Cardiovascular disease in Australia
• Autoimmune heart disease

B

• Brown atrophy of the heart

C

• Ebb Cade
• Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiac asthma
• Cardiac tamponade
• Cardiogenic shock
• Cardiogeriatrics
• Cardiorenal syndrome
• Cardiotoxicity
• Carditis
• Coronary artery aneurysm
• Coronary artery anomaly
• Coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Coronary artery ectasia
• Coronary occlusion
• Coronary steal
• Coronary thrombosis
• Coronary vasospasm
• Cœur en sabot
• Coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy

D

• Duke Treadmill Score
• Duroziez's disease

E

• Eisenmenger's syndrome
• Embryocardia
• Endocardial fibroelastosis
• Eosinophilic myocarditis

H

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• Heart to Heart (1949 film)
• High-output heart failure
• Hyperdynamic precordium

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

I

• Idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis
• Interventricular dyssynchrony
• Intraventricular dyssynchrony
• Isolated atrial amyloidosis

K

• Keshan disease

L

• Loeffler endocarditis

M

• Mydicar
• Myocardial bridge
• Myocardial disarray
• Myocardial rupture
• Myocardial scarring
• Myocardial stunning
• Myocarditis

N

• Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

O

• OLR1
• Ostial disease

P

• Papillary fibroelastoma
• Pathophysiology of heart failure
• Postpericardiotomy syndrome
• Pulmonary vein stenosis

R

• Right axis deviation
• Roemheld syndrome

S

• Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease
• SCAR-Fc
• Shone's syndrome
• Strain pattern
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Sudden cardiac death of athletes

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

T

• Traumatic cardiac arrest

V

• Ventricular aneurysm
• Vibroacoustic disease
• Viral cardiomyopathy

W

• Waon therapy

Cardiac arrest Resources
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