The heart is responsible for pumping blood to the whole body, but in certain cases, such as in a sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops working, and that could be fatal if not managed quickly.

Cardiac arrest

When the heart stops working or it beats really fast, this leads to cardiac arrest. In this case, the person becomes unconscious and collapses, and if not managed immediately, this could lead to death.

Causes and risk factors leading to cardiac arrest

Heart arrhythmia is the most common cause for cardiac arrest. Other causes include:

• Heart attack.
• Coronary artery disease (CAD).
• Heart valve disease.
• Cardiomyopathy.
• Congenital heart defect.
• Heart signaling conditions like long QT syndrome (LQTS).

The risk of cardiac arrest could increase due to the following factors:

• Hypertension, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol.
• Obesity and an inactive lifestyle.
• A medical history or family history of heart attack or CAD.
• Smoking.
• Aging and being a male.
• Decreased magnesium or potassium levels.
• Chronic kidney disease.
• Obstructive sleep apnea.
• Drug abuse, such as amphetamine or cocaine.

Symptoms of cardiac arrest

Right before cardiac arrest, these symptoms might occur:

• Shortness of breath.
• Chest discomfort.
• Heart palpitations.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest include:

• Abrupt collapse.
• Fainting.
• No pulse or breathing.
• If cardiac arrest isn’t managed immediately, low blood flow to the brain could lead to brain damage and even death.

Diagnosis of cardiac arrest

• The patient’s symptoms.
• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of cardiac arrest

• Sudden cardiac arrest is an emergency and requires immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Restoring the normal heart rhythm through medication or surgery if needed.
• Sudden cardiac arrest could be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle, staying active, quitting smoking, and managing other heart conditions, if any.