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Cardiac arrest is an emergency medical situation in which a person’s heart stops beating entirely. If this occurs, blood circulation stops — and with it, the delivery of life-sustaining oxygen to your vital organs, such as the brain. Depending on the cause, it may be possible to prevent an episode of cardiac arrest.
If you, or someone around you, needs cardiac arrest treatment in Central California, call 911 immediately.
If you witness someone collapse from cardiac arrest, you have to take action right away:
After successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest, the person will need care for the underlying cause of the cardiac episode. Such care may include:
Cardiac arrest can occur suddenly and without warning. If the initial treatment was successful — restarting the heart with CPR — further treatment will be necessary to treat the underlying condition that caused the episode.
Depending on the cause of cardiac arrest, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medication, or surgical intervention. Be sure to discuss the risks, benefits, and potential side effects of all recommended treatments.
In many cases, cardiac arrest can be prevented by treating the underlying medical condition. One way to catch an unknown heart condition is to have an annual check-up with your family doctor. Oftentimes, your doctor can spot the early signs of heart disease by observation or with a regular blood test.
If you want to further reduce your risk for cardiac arrest, consider doing the following:
Do you know your risk for developing a heart condition? Find out by taking Dignity Health’s free heart risk assessment.
Dignity Health Central California provides prompt emergency care, including life-saving cardiac arrest treatment, in Bakersfield, Merced, San Andreas, and Stockton, CA.