Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeaningCauses In AdultsCauses In KidsHow to Help Someone
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Meaning
Causes In Adults
Causes In Kids
How to Help Someone
Sudden cardiac arrestis an abrupt loss of heart function that leads a person to suddenly collapse, lose consciousness, and stop breathing. The heart stops beating and blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.
Death can occur in minutes, and almost 90% of cardiac arrests that occur outside of hospitals are fatal.However, survival is possible with a prompt response that includes calling 911, startingCPR chest compressions, and shocking the heart back into rhythm with anautomated external defibrillator (AED).
This article explores the most common causes of cardiac arrest in adults and children, how to recognize it, and steps you can take to increase a person’s chances of survival.
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“Cardiac” means “heart” and “arrest” means “to stop.”
Any time you see the term “arrest” paired up with a body system, it refers to that system ceasing its function. For example, respiratory arrest means the same thing as “not breathing.”
Cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack. A heart attack is a blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle, which deprives it of oxygen and damages the heart. Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction that causes the heart to stop pumping. However, a heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest.
Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack: Main Differences
Causes of Cardiac Arrest In Adults
Below are some common causes of cardiac arrest in adults.
Cardiac Arrhythmia
By far, the most common cause of cardiac arrest is acardiac arrhythmia.An arrhythmia is a problem in the heart’s electrical communication system that makes the heart beat irregularly.
Types of arrhythmias that can lead to cardiac arrest include:
A heart that’s enlarged or scarred, which can occur with a heart attack or other heart condition, is more prone to arrhythmias that can lead to cardiac arrest.
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. If the blood pressure gets too low, there won’t be a pulse or enough blood flowing tothe brainto keep the victim alive.
Electrolyte Imbalances
Electrolytesare important for body chemistry to function correctly.Calcium,sodium, andpotassiumare the most important electrolytes.
Calcium and potassium have to be in balance—sitting on either side of cell membranes, ready to switch places—in order to cause muscles to contract or nerves to transmit impulses. Once calcium and potassium swap places and cause things to happen, sodium puts them back in their place for the next time.
If there aren’t enough of one or two or all of these electrolytes, then the heart muscle cells can’t move, which means the heart won’t pump.Heat illness (heat exhaustionorheat stroke), kidney failure, and certain types of medications can cause electrolyte imbalances.
Causes of Cardiac Arrest In Kids
Arrhythmias are also the most common cause of cardiac arrest in children and adolescents.
Kids don’t suffer sudden cardiac arrest as often as adults, but when they do, it is usually due to a structural problem with the heart. The child’s family may or may not be aware of the child’s heart condition prior to the cardiac arrest.
Structural Abnormalities
Structural abnormalities can lead to cardiac arrest in children. This can includecongenital heart disease, a malformation of the heart that is there at birth, andhypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that is often undiagnosed and causes muscle cells in the heart’s ventricles, or lower chambers, to thicken.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can lead to arrhythmias, particularly during exercise.
Myocarditis
Genetic Conditions
Some genetic conditions, particularly those that go undiagnosed, can lead to cardiac arrest. Examples include:
Commotio Cordis
How to Help Someone in Cardiac Arrest
To improve the odds of survival for someone who collapses in cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association lists six important steps:
AEDs have pads with sensors that are put on the chest to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to restart the heart if the device indicates it is needed. AEDs are portable devices found in many public buildings, offices, and sports facilities that are intended for public use.
If someone collapses in cardiac arrest, call 911, startCPR, and use an AED if it’s available.
How to Do CPR
Summary
Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency that causes an abrupt loss of heart function. It is usually fatal when it occurs outside of a hospital but a prompt response with CPR chest compressions and use of an AED can increase the odds of survival.
An AED sends an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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