Cardiac arrest

What is a cardiac arrest?

Cardiac arrest is an electrical fault in the heart. The heart stops beating normally. When this happens, blood can’t reach the brain and other important parts of the body.

A cardiac arrest can be deadly if not treated quickly.

What causes a cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest can happen for many reasons. Some of the common ones are:

• Heart disease
• Trauma or injury
• Drowning or choking
• Electrocution
• Severe asthma or allergic reactions

But here’s something important to remember:

Sometimes, there’s no clear reason. It can happen to anyone – young or old, fit or not – anywhere, anytime. Even if someone looks healthy, they can still have a cardiac arrest.

Other things can make a cardiac arrest more likely:

• A family history of heart problems
• If you’ve suffered a heart attack before
• Getting older
• Being male
• Smoking
• High blood pressure and cholesterol
• Being overweight
• Diabetes
• Not exercising or being active
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Using illicit drugs

What are the signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest?

Cardiac arrest happens suddenly, and the signs show up straight away.

Someone in cardiac arrest will:

• Collapse and fall down.
• Not wake up or respond when you try to talk to or shake them.
• Not breathe normally or at all – they may gasp, choke, gurgle or sound like they’re snoring.

What is the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

A heart attack and cardiac arrest are not the same thing.

A heart attack is a plumbing problem, where blood can’t get to parts of the heart. During a heart attack:

• The person is usually awake and breathing.
• They might feel chest pain, feel sick or have trouble breathing.
• They can cry for help.

A heart attack can potentially lead to cardiac arrest.

A cardiac arrest is an electrical problem, where the heart suddenly stops beating normally. During a cardiac arrest:

• The person is not conscious and not breathing normally, if at all. You cannot wake them up.
• They cannot cry for help.

Both are medical emergencies where you must call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

How to help someone in cardiac arrest

If someone’s in cardiac arrest, act fast. Remember: Call, Push, Shock.

• Call Triple Zero (000)
• Push hard and fast on the centre of the chest
• Shock with an AED if one is nearby

You don’t need training – just follow the steps. Any attempt is better than none.

Learn exactly what to do with Call, Push, Shock.

What happens after cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest is a life-altering and often traumatic experience, whether you lived through it or you helped someone else.

After resuscitation, your healthcare team will:

• try to identify the cause through tests including imaging, blood tests and genetic testing
• assess risk factors and check for underlying conditions for cardiac arrest
• discuss treatment options to prevent future cardiac arrests.

Many survivors go on to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Find support

If you have been affected by cardiac arrest, you might like to join our MyHeart MyLife online community to connect with people across Australia who are on a similar recovery journey.

If you have responded to someone in cardiac arrest, it’s normal to feel shaken or emotional. Talking to someone can help you process what happened. Below are some organisations that offer mental health support:

• Lifeline - Ph 13 44 14
• Suicide Call Back Service - Ph 1300 659 467
• Beyond Blue - Ph 1300 224 363
• 13YARN - Ph 13 92 76