About Cardiac Arrest

Key points

  • Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.
  • Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.
  • If you believe someone is having a cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 right away, look for an automated external defibrillator (AED), and give CPR until medical professionals arrive.
Construction worker performing CPR on a co-worker that had cardiac arrest.

What it is

More than 356,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States every year,1 and about 60% to 80% of them die before reaching the hospital.2

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. Blood stops flowing to the rest of the body. People who survive cardiac arrest can have:

  • Brain injury.
  • Injury to internal organs.
  • Psychological distress, like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression.

Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack (myocardial infarction), myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), or pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart).

Signs and symptoms

A person may be in cardiac arrest if they:

  • Collapse suddenly and lose consciousness (pass out).
  • Are not breathing or are gasping for air.
  • Don't respond to shouting or shaking.
  • Don't have a pulse.

If you believe someone is having a cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 right away, look for an automated external defibrillator (AED), and give CPR until medical professionals arrive.

At-risk populations

People at highest risk for cardiac arrest are older adults and men. Black men and women are more likely to die from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than White men and women.3

Causes

Cardiac arrest has several causes, including:

  • Cardiomyopathy, which happens when the heart muscle becomes enlarged or stiff, leading to abnormal contractions.
  • Coronary artery disease, which restricts the flow of blood to the heart.
  • Valvular heart disease occurs when a valve in the heart is damaged or diseased.
  • An arrhythmia, which is when the heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way.

Although rare (fewer than 30 reported cases annually), a forceful blow to the chest, as from a hard ball or steering wheel, can also cause cardiac arrest. This condition is called commotio cordis (agitation of the heart).4

Resources

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; About the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
  1. Benjamin EJ, Virani SS, Callaway CW, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2018 update: A report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018;137(12):e67–e492. Table 16-1.
  2. Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: A report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;147(8):e93–e621. Table 19-5 and 19-6.
  3. Zhao DI, Post WS, Blasco-Colmenares E, et al. Racial differences in sudden cardiac death: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC). Circulation. 2019;139(14):1688–1697.
  4. Tainter CR, Hughes PG. Commotio Cordis. StatPearls Publishing; 2023.