What Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, which leads to a halt in blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.

Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack or a myocardial infarction, although it may be caused by either of these ailments. People with past heart problems or those suffering from heart disease are at a higher risk of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen in people with no prior history of heart disease and who are seemingly healthy. But cardiac arrest can be reversible if treated immediately. Such emergency treatments include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation. A defibrillator provides electric shocks to the chest to help restore the normal heart rhythm. Emergency teams use portable defibrillators. If in a public area, search for ambulatory external defibrillators (AEDs); these are available for the public in many areas and meant for the specific use of aiding cardiac arrest victims.

Symptoms
While in many cases sudden cardiac arrest occurs without preceding symptoms, the following are some warning signs for watch for.

  • A halt in breathing 
  • Dizziness 
  • Lightheadedness 
  • Loss of consciousness 
  • No heartbeat (or pulse) 
  • Racing heartbeat

Are You at Risk?
Patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest usually suffer from one or more of the following risk factors:

  • Arrhythmias (most commonly ventricular fibrillation) 
  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) 
  • Diabetes 
  • Enlarged heart, or other birth defects of the heart or blood vessels 
  • Extreme slowing of the rate of the heart’s electrical signals 
  • Heart failure 
  • Family history of sudden cardiac arrest 
  • Genetic disorders 
  • Obesity 
  • Recreational drug abuse 
  • Severe physical stress 
  • Structural changes in the heart

Talk with you doctor if you are an at-risk patient for the most effective ways to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.

Audio Clips
Listen to Sharp-affiliated physicians discuss various topics relating to the heart.

For More Information
To learn more about your heart and your health, read on about cardiovascular health in our Health Library. 

To learn more about arrhythmias, visit our Arrhythmia Program at Sharp Memorial Hospital. 

To find a Sharp-affiliated cardiologist and learn more about the heart programs Sharp offers, visit Heart and Vascular. 

Stay up to date with the latest heart health news by visiting our Heart and Cardiovascular News Archive.

Last Updated: August 7, 2009