Cardiac arrest is a sudden loss of blood flow throughout the body resulting from the failure of the heart to pump effectively. It is a rapidly fatal medical emergency requiring immediate intervention with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until further treatment can be provided. Cardiac arrest results in rapid loss of consciousness and breathing may be abnormal or absent. While cardiac arrest may be caused by heart attack or heart failure, these are not the same, and in 15 to 25% of cases there is a non-cardiac cause. Some individuals may experience chest pain, shortness of breath or nausea immediately before entering cardiac arrest. Additionally, an elevated heart rate and feelings of light-headedness may occur before the episode. If not intervened by CPR and defibrillation, cardiac arrest typically leads to death within minutes. The most common cause of cardiac arrest is an underlying heart problem like coronary artery disease which decreases the amount of oxygenated blood supplying the heart muscle. This, in turn, damages the structure of the muscle, which can alter its function. These changes can over time place the patient's heart in ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) which most commonly precedes cardiac arrest. Less common causes include major blood loss, lack of oxygen, very low potassium, heart failure, inherited heart arrhythmias and intense physical exercise. Cardiac arrest is diagnosed by the inability to find a pulse. CPR and defibrillation can reverse a cardiac arrest, leading to Return-of-Spontaneous-Circulation (ROSC), but without such intervention it can lead to a certain death. In some cases, cardiac arrest is an anticipated outcome of serious illnesses where death is expected. Treatment for cardiac arrest includes immediate CPR and, if a shockable rhythm is present, defibrillation. Two protocols have been established for CPR: basic life support (BLS) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). Among those whose pulses are reestablished, targeted temperature management may improve outcomes. In addition, the care team may initiate measures to protect the patient from brain injury and preserve brain function. In post-resuscitation care, an implantable cardiac defibrillator may be considered to reduce the chance of death from recurrence. In the United States, approximately 535,000 cases occur a year. About 13 per 10,000 people (326,000 or 61%) experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting, while 209,000 (39%) occur within a hospital. Cardiac arrest becomes more common with age and affects males more often than females. The percentage of people who survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with treatment by emergency medical services is about 8%. However, fictional media in the U.S. has often portrayed the immediate survival rate of cardiac arrest to be unreasonably high. This may contribute to misinformed expectations of the resuscitative efforts from the general public with many studies showing the expected survival rate of resuscitative efforts after cardiac arrest exceeding 40–50%. These portrayals may also contribute to a patient's or medical decision maker's desire to pursue aggressive measures. When given accurate information, it has been shown that many are less likely to choose resuscitation when critically ill. In the event that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is successful, complete recovery is not guaranteed as many survivors experience an array of disability including partial paralysis, seizures, difficulty with walking, speaking, or memory, limited consciousness, or persistent vegetative state and brain death.
symptoms of Brugada syndrome
symptom of Brugada syndrome
symptoms of Long QT syndrome
symptom of Long QT syndrome
symptom of Dilated cardiomyopathy
symptom of Atrial fibrillation
symptom of Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
medical cause of Ventricular fibrillation