Cardiac Arrest Vs Heart Attack

Whenever there’s talk of death from heart problems, the default tends to assume it was a heart attack. The more I think about it, the more I am certain that my husband didn’t die from a heart attack, but from sudden cardiac arrest or SCA. In reality, a heart attack vs cardiac arrest are very different things.

A heart attack, or what doctors call a myocardial infarction or MI, is when there is damage to the heart caused by inadequate blood flow. Usually, it’s because one of the heart’s arteries has a blockage, typically from cholesterol – that’s why your doctor monitors your cholesterol levels. The blood clot is like a stopper, preventing the required blood flow to your heart. It’s a plumbing problem.

A cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. It happens when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions, causing it to beat rapidly and chaotically. Sometimes it’s even an instant stop. Once the heart stops beating, the blood flow needed to bring oxygen to the main organs, especially the brain, shuts down the system within seconds.

You can survive a heart attack; it is unlikely you will survive a cardiac arrest. The difference being that a heart attack is a slow (though agonizing) process, while a cardiac arrest is sudden. Unless a defibrillator is used within minutes of an arrest, the lack of oxygen to the brain kills it within seconds.

Is Sudden Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest the Same Thing?

The signs were there, if I only knew how to read them. He was complaining of being out of breath, and that his heart was racing super fast after taking his prescribed medication in the morning for some weeks. He was also very tired a lot, like could sleep the day through if he could. Really though, would that trigger a warning for you? Maybe now it would.