Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. You should dial 911 and start CPR right away if you suspect SCA in someone.
Without quick action to revive the heart, a person can die in minutes. But delivering an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat as soon as possible and giving CPR can be lifesaving.
If another person is available, ask him or her to look for an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is a portable device that can detect a harmful change in the heart’s rhythm (arrhythmia) and give an electric shock, called defibrillation. AEDs are available in many locations including shopping centers, sports venues, airports, community centers and office buildings.
Giving CPR and using an AED within the first few minutes of SCA can greatly improve the chances of survival. (Scroll down for more information about how to help.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Some common questions people have about sudden cardiac arrest:- What causes sudden cardiac arrest?
- Why is using a device to deliver an electric shock to the heart as soon as possible important?
- Are there early signs to watch for?
- Who can operate an AED?
- My ejection fraction (a measure of how well the heart is working) is low. How worried do I need to be of sudden cardiac arrest?
- What is the chance of having a sudden cardiac arrest if a family member had one?
- Once you’ve had sudden cardiac arrest, what is needed to prevent another one?
SCA: What it is and isn’t
Sudden cardiac arrest should not be confused with a heart attack.
| During a heart attack… | During sudden cardiac arrest… |
| Blood supply to the heart muscle is reduced or blocked, but the heart keeps beating; however, there may be damage to the heart muscle. | The electrical system of the heart goes wrong (think of the way the lights flash before the power goes out), and the heart stops pumping blood. |
| Usually, the person knows something is happening, and can talk about his or her symptoms. | Usually, the person is unconscious, and a pulse may not be found. |
In some cases, a heart attack might trigger the electrical issues that cause sudden cardiac arrest. But these events don’t need to happen at the same time.
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen in people without heart disease. About 80% of cases are due to existing coronary artery disease. However, in most cases SCA is the first sign of a heart problem. That is, those affected were unaware of their heart disease until they had sudden cardiac arrest.- Sudden Cardiac Arrest claims one life every 90 seconds.
- The likelihood of surviving is related to the speed of efforts to revive the heart. But half of sudden cardiac arrest victims won’t have someone nearby to help.
- More than 420,000 Americans have an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest each year. About 10,200 are children; many appear otherwise healthy, and some are even athletes
- Only about 10% of people survive. The odds of surviving are much higher if someone witnesses the event, calls 911 at once, starts CPR and uses a device to shock and restart the heart.
What makes SCA more likely? Who is at risk?
Why sudden cardiac arrest happens is not clearly understood. It is most often caused by a dangerous heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation.SCA can happen to anyone at any age. But the risk is greater among certain people. For example, it is more likely if you’ve had an SCA. And it’s more likely if a parent, child or sibling has had one. Men and African Americans also are at greater risk.
Still, certain diseases or conditions can cause the heart’s electrical system to misfire and lead to SCA. These include:
- Coronary heart disease
- Structural changes in the heart, for example, a thickened heart muscle/enlarged heart
- Heart failure with reduced pumping function, often referred to as a low ejection fraction (ejection fraction less than 35%)
- Heart attack — 75% of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest were found to have had a heart attack, many of which went undiagnosed; survivors of heart attack are 4 to 6 times more likely to have SCA than the general population
- Physical stress such as trauma, blood loss, dehydration/electrolyte imbalance or (in rare cases) very intense physical activity
- Heart problems you are born with make you more prone to heart rhythm problems.
- Having a dangerous heart rhythm causing the heart to “short circuit” and stop beating
- Being born with a heart defect
- Other issues such as heart attack, poor heart function, physical stress; some drugs, drug overdose or toxins can also lead to heart rhythm problems
Some studies have linked SCA to low levels of potassium or magnesium in the body.
Signs and Symptoms
Sudden cardiac arrest tends to happen without warning. Usually, the first sign is someone fainting, collapsing or seeming to be lifeless. You may not be able to feel a pulse. It’s critical to call 911 right away.
Recent studies of SCA survivors find that, in some cases, people remember that something didn’t feel quite right beforehand. They recalled:
- Dizziness
- Unexplained shortness of breath
- Chest pains
- Seizures (usually in the arms and legs)
- Feeling sick to the stomach or vomiting an hour before the event
Another study shows that half of patients ages 35 to 65 had warning signs — mainly chest pain and shortness of breath in the 24 hours before the SCA. Some had warning signs for weeks.
Treatment: Shocking the Heart
The only effective treatment for SCA is to restore the heart’s normal rhythm by using an AED to deliver a shock to the heart. For every minute that passes without treatment, a person’s chance of surviving drops by 7% to 10%.
People who happen to be in the area during the event play a critical role in saving lives. Their action can mean the difference between life and death.
What to Do?
- Call 911 or have someone else call if other people are available.
- Start CPR at once while waiting for emergency help to arrive.
- Ask another person to find the nearest AED. AEDs are portable devices found in EMS vehicles and public places. They give simple instructions and are programmed to identify an electrical problem and shock the heart.
—Leon Ptaszek, MD, PhD, FACC, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Preventing Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Because most cases of SCA occur in people who have had a heart attack, or who have hearts with lowered ability to pump blood (called a low ejection fraction) or heart failure, health care providers can take steps to prevent a repeat event. It is critical that people who survive sudden cardiac arrest follow their treatment plan.Otherwise, the best approach is to live a healthy lifestyle by:
- Eating a diet low in saturated and trans fats, and high in soluble fiber and fruits and vegetables
- Exercising regularly
- Getting to a healthy weight and keeping it
- Managing stress
- Quitting smoking
What Else Can You Do?
Know how to respond if someone is in sudden cardiac arrest. Survival rates could double or triple if more people take action and know what to do, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation.- Know the warning signs of an SCA.
- Act fast. Chance of survival goes down for every minute treatment is delayed. Don’t waste time debating whether it’s SCA.
- Take a CPR class or brush up on your skills if you’ve taken one.
- Learn how to use an AED and where they can be found.
- AEDs are not in all places. Do not delay CPR or calling 911 if an AED is not available.
- AEDs at home don’t seem to affect survival. This could be because many who have an SCA at home are alone.
Helpful Resources
To learn more about sudden cardiac arrest, visit CardioSmart. You can also find out more from:American Heart Association
www.heart.org
VIDEO: Hands-Only CPR
Heart Rhythm Society
www.hrsonline.org
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
How to Use an AED
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
www.sca-aware.org
More about CPR
CPR Basics
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a sudden loss of heart function. It is caused by a problem in the heart's electrical system. The heart beats dangerously fast or stops beating and fails to pump blood to the rest of the body. SCA is different from a heart attack, which involves a blockage in a blood vessel to the heart.
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) happens when the heart beats dangerously fast or suddenly stops beating. This is a medical emergency and can progress quickly to sudden cardiac death (SCD). If you suspect someone is in sudden cardiac arrest, call 911 and start CPR right away.
When playing sports, an athlete's heart is working faster and pumping harder. Adrenaline is pumped throughout the body, and the heart needs more oxygen than normal. Dehydration, fever or changes in electrolytes (minerals in the body) can also play a part.
In people whose hearts are not normal to begin with, these extra stresses can sometimes trigger the electrical system of the heart at exactly the wrong time and cause sudden cardiac arrest.
While rare, SCA is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Use this condition center to learn more about sports and sudden cardiac arrest.
Questions to Ask
If you're an athlete and have been told you are at increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest, there are several key questions that you should ask your health care provider during your next visit. These questions will ensure that you and your doctor have discussed your major risk factors so that you can become or stay as healthy as possible.
- What causes sudden cardiac arrest?
- Are there early signs of sudden cardiac arrest to watch for?
- What is the chance of having a sudden cardiac arrest if a family member had one?
- Once you've had sudden cardiac arrest, what is needed to prevent another one?
Source: https://www.cardiosmart.org/topics/sudden-cardiac-arrest
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