cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops, blood cannot circulate properly through the body and the blood flow to the brain and other organs is decreased. When the brain does not receive enough blood, this can cause a person to lose consciousness and brain cells begin to die within minutes due to a lack of oxygen. Coma and persistent vegetative state may result from cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is typically identified by the absence of a central pulse and abnormal or absent breathing.

Cardiac arrest and resultant hemodynamic collapse often occur due to arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). Ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia are most commonly recorded. However, as many incidents of cardiac arrest occur out-of-hospital or when a person is not having their cardiac activity monitored, it is difficult to identify the specific mechanism in each case.