What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
In people of all ages, sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of the heart’s ability to pump blood. In most cases, it is caused by a sudden arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation, in which the heart’s electrical impulses create a dangerous and chaotic heart rhythm. When this happens, the victim collapses and quickly loses consciousness as blood flow to the brain is stopped. Unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within minutes, the victim will die or will suffer brain damage.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) simply means that the heart unexpectedly and abruptly stops beating. This is usually caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. Approximately 450,000 Americans suffer SCA each year without warning. It can leave the victim dead within a matter of minutes.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) simply means that the heart unexpectedly and abruptly quits beating. This is usually caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Approximately 330,000 Americans suffer SCA each year without warning. It can leave the victim dead within a matter of minutes.
