Cardiac arrest
hideA cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole.
A cardiac arrest is different from (but may be caused by) a heart attack or myocardial infarction, where blood flow to the still-beating heart is interrupted (as in cardiogenic shock).
"Arrested" blood circulation prevents delivery of oxygen to all parts of the body. Cerebral hypoxia, or lack of oxygen supply to the brain, causes victims to lose consciousness and to stop normal breathing, although agonal breathing may still occur. Brain injury is likely if cardiac arrest is untreated for more than five minutes, although new treatments such as induced hypothermia have begun to extend this time. To improve survival and neurological recovery immediate response is paramount.
Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that, in certain groups of patients, is potentially reversible if treated early enough (See "reversible causes" below). When unexpected cardiac arrest leads to death this is called sudden cardiac death (SCD). The primary first-aid treatment for cardiac arrest is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (commonly known as CPR) which provides circulatory support until availability of definitive medical treatment, which will vary dependent on the rhythm the heart is exhibiting, but often requires defibrillation.
For more information about Cardiac arrest, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with cardiac arrest
CPR is successful without mouth-to-mouth, but not without oxygen
Nov 30, 2009 |
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People can survive cardiac arrest if they receive only chest compressions during attempts to revive them - as advised by the current American Heart Association guidelines. But they cannot survive without access to oxygen ...
Chances of surviving cardiac arrest at home or work unchanged in 30 years
Dec 02, 2009 |
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The chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has not improved since the 1950s, according to a report by the University of Michigan Health System.
Cooling may benefit children after cardiac arrest
Dec 03, 2009 |
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When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient's life may be saved but their brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient's body temperature is lowered and maintained ...
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Severe asymptomatic heart disease may accompany narrowing in leg arteries
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reveal that one in five patients with narrowing or blockage in arteries that supply ...
Improving Cardiac Rehab for Women with Heart Disease
Nov 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- USF Health researcher shows motivational "women-only" cardiac rehab improves symptoms of depression.
Patients can safely skip pre-surgery stress tests and beta blockers
Dec 02, 2009 |
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Physicians should "throttle back" from routinely ordering stress tests and prescribing beta blockers to patients before non-cardiac surgeries, according to a report by the University of Michigan released online this week.
Hope for patients with type 2 diabetes
Dec 03, 2009 |
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The outlook for individuals with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease is not as grim as originally believed, according to new Saint Louis University research published in Circulation, the Journal of the American He ...
Montreal Heart Institute performs its first implant of new prosthesis for cardiac arrhythmia
Nov 30, 2009 |
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A multidisciplinary team from the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI), which is affiliated to the Université de Montréal, performed its first catheter implantation of a new prosthesis (Amptlazer Cardiac Plug) closing ...
Europe's device therapy use for heart failure doubles 2004-2008, some countries have low uptake
Nov 30, 2009 |
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The use of implantable devices for the treatment of heart failure increased "enormously" in Europe between the years 2004 and 2008, but there still remain large differences between countries, according to a study reported ...
Study suggests adult stem cells may help repair hearts damaged by heart attack
Dec 02, 2009 |
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Adult stem cells may help repair heart tissue damaged by heart attack according to the findings of a new study to be published in the December 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Results from t ...
Study helps advance heart-related research
14 hours ago |
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Using a new mathematical model of heart cells, University of Iowa investigators have shown how activation of a critical enzyme, calmodulin kinase II (CaM kinase), disrupts the electrical activity of heart cells.
BetOnSports fined $28 million, gets probation
Dec 02, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Defunct online gambling site BetOnSports.com has been sentenced to probation and a $28.2 million fine that lawyers on both sides say probably will never be paid.
Intelligent blood bags
Dec 01, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Have the blood supplies got too warm? Do they match the patient?s blood group? In the future, these kinds of questions will be answered by intelligent radio nodes attached to blood bags. These ...
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