Glossary/General Cardiology

Cardiac Arrest.

The sudden cessation of effective heart pumping, leading to loss of consciousness and death within minutes without treatment. Different from a heart attack. Survival depends on immediate CPR and defibrillation.

Definition

What is cardiac arrest?

The sudden cessation of effective heart pumping, leading to loss of consciousness and death within minutes without treatment. Different from a heart attack. Survival depends on immediate CPR and defibrillation.

Related Terms

Related glossary terms.

Ventricular Fibrillation
A chaotic, disorganized electrical activity in the ventricles that causes the heart to quiver ins...
Sudden Cardiac Death
Unexpected death caused by sudden loss of heart function, usually due to ventricular fibrillation...
ICD
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. A device similar to a pacemaker that can also detect and ...
Cardioversion
A procedure to restore a normal heart rhythm by delivering a controlled electric shock to the hea...
Previous
Cannulation
Next
Cardiac Catheterization
Browse all 200 terms
Stay informed.
Expert cardiac surgery insights from the WhiteGloveMD Heart Team, delivered to your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. HIPAA-compliant.

Have questions about cardiac arrest?

Our Heart Team provides expert second opinions with plain-language explanations. 24-hour turnaround.

Start Your Review Browse Conditions