Cardiac Arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, striking over 350,000 people of all ages each year. SCA occurs when an electrical malfunction causes an abnormal heart rhythm and the heart suddenly stops beating. Without the heart pumping blood to the rest of the body, organs such as the brain and the lungs don’t receive the oxygen they need. The person experiencing SCA will immediately collapse and die within minutes unless a bystander intervenes to call 911, give CPR, and restart the heart with an AED.

Causes of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest has three main causes, including arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms), cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart), and coronary artery disease. Other causes could be a blow to the chest, other congenital heart disorders, and recreational drug use. However, sometimes the cardiac arrest is idiopathic, or without a known cause.

Learn more about cardiac arrest by viewing the infographic from the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and the video from Zoll Medical below.

Source: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, sca-aware.org

Source: Zoll Medical, https://youtu.be/2fD1OqXBNdo