b'Sudden Cardiac ArrestChapterSudden Cardiac Arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating due to an electrical malfunction of the heart muscle. This disrupts the normal heart rhythm, resulting in the loss of consciousness, loss of pulse and the very real possibility of loss of life in minutes.Risk factors for a Sudden Cardiac Arrest include:Family history of sudden cardiac arrest.Previous heart attack (resulting in heart damage).Coronary artery disease.Artherosclerosis.Sudden Cardiac Arrest is NOT a heart attack.Basically, your heart is a pump powered by electrical signals. If those signals become disturbed, the heart may begin to vibrate or quiver in an irregular manner. This is called fibrillation. The heart is not able to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body.When oxygen-rich blood stops nourishing your brain, you lose consciousness. If defibrillation does not occur immediately, you die.The only way to stop a fibrillating heartand restore a normal heart beat is bySurvival from Sudden Cardiac Arrestapplying an electrical shock to the 100heart using a defibrillator.With a defibrillator, the patient is at 90least given a chance to recover. 80Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happento anyone, any age, any gender, 70any race, anytime and anywhere. 60% SuccessWhen a person suffers a SuddenCardiac Arrest, the most common 50result is Sudden Cardiac Death.4030Current statistics showthat if CPR and defibrillation20is delayed, the chances of10survival reduce by 7-10%for each minute0the heart is stopped.0123456789Time (Minutes)28 How Your Body Works'