Cardiac Arrest: The Most Common Questions

What is the difference between cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

Although they are often confused, they are two different things. A heart attack is a "plumbing" problem: an artery supplying the heart becomes blocked, the heart keeps beating, but part of it is not properly supplied with blood. Cardiac arrest is an "electrical" problem: the heart stops completely, because its electrical impulse is interrupted. A severe heart attack can, however, cause cardiac arrest.

How do I know someone has suffered a cardiac arrest?

The signs are immediate: the person collapses, is not breathing, has no pulse and does not respond if you speak to them or shake them.

What is the first thing I should do?

Call the emergency services (112) immediately. Then, if you are trained, start Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Time is your greatest opponent.

CPR is not knowledge only for health professionals, it is for each of us. It may prove to be the most valuable lesson of your life, the one that gives a fellow human a second chance.

If you want to learn how to confidently handle a cardiac arrest, check out the Life Support Hub Basic Life Support (BLS) programme.