What is cardiac arrest?

Cardiac arrest – or sudden cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death – is a medical emergency. When a person stops breathing and the heart stops beating, that person is experiencing cardiac arrest. (Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is slowed or stopped because of a blockage.)

Cardiac arrest may have a variety of causes, including heart disease, drowning, stroke, electrocution, suffocation, drug overdose, motor vehicle accident or other injury.

If you find someone experiencing cardiac arrest, you must act quickly. With each passing minute, the probability of survival declines by 7% to 10%. The use of an AED with CPR before the arrival of Emergency Medical Services can increase the individual’s chance of survival by up to 75%..

Learn more about cardiac arrest signs.

Last modified: October 2011
Last reviewed: October 2010