Cardiac Arrest

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The medical term for a heart stoppage. The most common cause is a heart attack but there are other causes. In cardiac arrest there is an electrical malfunction in the heart, resulting in an irregular heartbeat that disrupts the effective pumping action of the heart. As a result, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain and other organs. Death can occur within minutes if cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are not carried out.

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