| Risk Factors Cardiac arrest means that the heart suddenly
stops beating. This is due to a problem with the heart's
electrical system. When cardiac arrest occurs emergency medical
care needs to be provided immediately. If it is not, the person
can quickly die since blood is not being pumped throughout the
body. Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. When a
person has a heart attack, the blood flow to the heart is
interrupted. This may be due to problems with the coronary
arteries, such as a build-up of plaque, a blood clot, or a
thickening of the artery walls. Electrical System of the Heart
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. Cardiac arrest may be
caused by: - Ventricular fibrillation —a rapid, irregular heart
rhythm preventing any circulation of blood (most common cause of
sudden cardiac arrest) - Ventricular tachycardia —a rapid but
regular heart rhythm that, if sustained, may turn into
ventricular fibrillation Dramatic slowing of heart rate due to
failure of its or severe heart block (inter