What causes cardiac arrest?
1 Answer
A coronary artery disease is the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest. Many other cardiac and non cardiac conditions also increase one's risk.
Explanation:
A cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops pumping blood in the body. Unlike other muscles in the body which rely on nerve connections to receive the electrical stimulation that they need to function, the heart has its own electrical stimulator called the sinus node. If something goes wrong with the sinus node or flow of electric impulses through the heart, arrhythmia results.
A common cause of cardiac arrest is usually an arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation. This results in rapid and erratic electrical impulses making the ventricles quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood.
Other causes include major blood loss, lack of oxygen, very low potassium, heart failure or intense physical excercise. A number of inherited disorders may also increase the risk. Cardiomyopathy, congenital heart diseases, heart valve disease and the use of recreational drugs like cocaine may also trigger a cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest becomes more common with age. It affects makes more than females.
