In the not too distant past, suffering a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital rarely included a complete recovery. Today, an innovative new treatment, called therapeutic hypothermia, offers many post-cardiac arrest patients a recovery that would have been deemed miraculous just a short time ago.
When someone suffers cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops beating due to an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. Within seconds, the victim loses consciousness, collapses and has no pulse. Only immediate emergency treatment to restart the heart, such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and external defibrillation (electrical shock), can prevent death. Time is the key factor in survival for these victims. The American Heart Association recommends resuscitation within five minutes of collapse or sooner.
Heart Disease. Heart Failure. Heart Attack. Cardiac Arrest. Exactly what do all these terms mean and how do they differ?
