Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that without immediate medical intervention will result within minutes in sudden cardiac death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and possibly defibrillation are needed until further treatment can be provided. Cardiac arrest results in a rapid loss of consciousness, and breathing may be abnormal or absent.While cardiac arrest may be caused by heart attack or heart failure, these are not the same, and in 15 to 25% of cases there is a non-cardiac cause. Some individuals may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, an elevated heart rate and feeling light-headed immediately before entering cardiac arrest.The most common cause of cardiac arrest is an underlying heart problem like coronary artery disease which decreases the amount of oxygenated blood supplying the heart muscle. This, in turn, damages the structure of the muscle, which can alter its function. These changes can over time cause ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) which most commonly precedes cardiac arrest. Less common causes include major blood loss, lack of oxygen, very low potassium, electrical injury, heart failure, inherited heart arrhythmias and intense physical exercise. Cardiac arrest is diagnosed by the inability to find a pulse.CPR and defibrillation can reverse a cardiac arrest, leading to return of spontaneous circulation, but without such intervention it will prove fatal. In some cases, cardiac arrest is an anticipated outcome of serious illnesses where death is expected. Treatment for cardiac arrest includes immediate CPR and, if a shockable rhythm is present, defibrillation.
Prognosis
Studies of the life expectancy of patients with Alport syndrome are rare, but one 2012 study found that Alport patients receiving renal replacement therapy (dialysis or kidney transplantation) exhibited, on average, better survival compared with matched controls who had other renal diseases (and who also received renal replacement therapy). See also
AMMECR1
Samoyed hereditary glomerulopathy, a disease shown to be a model for Alport syndrome. Fechtner syndrome
Thin basement membrane disease

References
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States National Library of Medicine document: "Alport syndrome". (Genetics Home Reference)

External links

GeneReview/NIH/UW entry on Alport syndrome