Beginner's Guide to Recognizing a Sudden Cardiac Arrest

As the largest cause of natural death in the United States, sudden cardiac arrest is responsible for half of all heart disease deaths. (Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Causes and Symptoms. (n.d). Cleveland Clinic.)

How does a sudden cardiac arrest happen? What are the signs and symptoms that we can recognize? Knowing the answers to these questions can truly save lives, and this short article will guide you through the crucial knowledge surrounding a sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a medical emergency usually caused by problems within the heart's electrical system. It involves an unexpected, abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. (Sudden cardiac arrest - Symptoms and Causes. n.d.).

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Recognizing a Cardiac Arrest

A sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. During a heart attack, only the blood supply to the heart is compromised due to blockage in the arteries and the heart may still continue to beat. On the other hand, with SCA there is a disruption in the heart’s pumping action which can completely stop the heartbeats, resulting in a period of zero blood flow from the heart to the body. (Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How To Recognize It And Respond. 2018).

If a sudden cardiac arrest is not immediately responded to, structural brain damage, or even death can take place in a matter of minutes. (Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How To Recognize It And Respond. 2018). This is why spreading awareness of how to recognize a sudden cardiac arrest becomes especially important.

Below are the common immediate and drastic signs of a sudden cardiac arrest:

• Sudden collapse

• Lack of pulse

• No breathing

• Loss of consciousness

Although SCA often occurs with no warning, recent studies of SCA survivors have identified several common warning signs:

• Chest discomfort

• Unexplained shortness of breath

• Weakness, dizziness

• Seizures (usually in the arms or legs)

• Fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart (palpitations)

(Sudden cardiac arrest - Symptoms and Causes. n.d.), (Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How To Recognize It And Respond. 2018)

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With fast and accurate recognition of SCA, appropriate medical care can be delivered quickly, making survival possible.

Click on some of the other short articles to learn more about the causes, preventions, treatments, and recovery of cardiac arrests to understand the full scope of this medical emergency that affects the lives of so many Ontarians and people around the world.

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FLASHCARDS

What is a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) involves abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness

Is a sudden cardiac arrest the same as a heart attack?

No, a SCA is not the same as a heart attack

What may happen if a SCA is not responded to immediately?

Serious consequences like structural brain damage and death can happen within a few minutes if a SCA is not responded to immediately

List some common immediate symptoms of SCA.

• sudden collapse

• no pulse

• no breath

List some common warning signs of SCA.

• seizures

• chest discomfort

• dizziness

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References

Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Causes and Symptoms. (n.d). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17522-sudden-cardiac-death-sudden-cardiac-arrest

Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How To Recognize It And Respond. (September 11, 2018). Henry Ford Health. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.henryford.com/blog/2018/09/sudden-cardiac-arrest-how-to-recognize-it-and-respond

Sudden Cardiac Arrest - Symptoms and Causes. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-cardiac-arrest/symptoms-causes/syc-20350634