Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest is a critical emergency that occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating due to a serious electrical problem. Unlike a heart attack, it often happens suddenly and may affect people with or without known heart disease. A person may collapse, become unresponsive, and stop breathing normally. In some cases, warning signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, nausea, or fainting may appear shortly before the event. The most common cause is an abnormal heart rhythm, especially ventricular fibrillation.

Other risk factors include coronary artery disease, inherited heart conditions, electrolyte imbalance, structural heart problems, and severe blood loss or oxygen deprivation. Sudden cardiac arrest is extremely dangerous because the brain and other organs quickly lose oxygen. Immediate CPR helps maintain blood flow, while an automated external defibrillator can restore a normal rhythm. Quick emergency response is the best chance of survival. Awareness of symptoms, early recognition, and prompt treatment are essential in reducing deaths from this condition.