cardiac arrest

arrest /ar·rest/ (ah-rest´) cessation or stoppage, as of a function or a disease process.

cardiac arrest sudden cessation of the pumping function of the heart with disappearance of arterial blood pressure, connoting either ventricular fibrillation or ventricular standstill.

developmental arrest a temporary or permanent cessation of development.

epiphyseal arrest premature interruption of longitudinal growth of bone by fusion of the epiphysis and diaphysis.

maturation arrest interruption of the process of development, as of blood cells, before the final stage is reached.

sinus arrest a pause in the normal cardiac rhythm due to a momentary failure of the sinus node to initiate an impulse, lasting for an interval that is not an exact multiple of the normal cardiac cycle.

cardiac arrest

Abbr. CA A sudden cessation of cardiac function, resulting in loss of effective circulation.

Cardiac arrest

A condition in which the heart stops functioning. Fibrillation can lead to cardiac arrest if not corrected quickly.

Mentioned in: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Defibrillation, Wilderness Medicine

cardiac arrest

Etymology: Gk, kardia + L, ad + restare, to withstand

a sudden cessation of cardiac output and effective circulation. It is usually precipitated by ventricular fibrillation or ventricular asystole. When cardiac arrest occurs, delivery of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide stop, tissue cell metabolism becomes anaerobic, and metabolic and respiratory acidosis ensue. Immediate initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required to prevent heart, lung, kidney, and brain damage and death. Also called cardiopulmonary arrest. See also cardiac standstill, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

arrest [ah-rest´]

sudden cessation or stoppage.

cardiac arrest see cardiac arrest.

epiphyseal arrest premature arrest of the longitudinal growth of bone due to fusion of the epiphysis and diaphysis.

maturation arrest interruption of the process of development, as of blood cells, before the final stage is reached.

cardiac [kahr´de-ak]

1. pertaining to the heart.

2. pertaining to the ostium cardiacum.

cardiac arrest sudden and often unexpected stoppage of effective heart action. Either the periodic impulses that trigger the coordinated heart muscle contractions cease or ventricular fibrillation or flutter occurs in which the individual muscle fibers have a rapid irregular twitching. The majority of victims of cardiac arrest suffer from ventricular fibrillation, and most have severe coronary artery disease. The only chance for survival for many who have unexpected cardiac arrest is successful implementation of emergency cardiac care and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Reduction of the incidence of cardiac arrest and sudden death is a major concern of the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.

Programs aimed at achieving the goal of reduced mortality from cardiac arrest include education of the general public in ways to avoid the development of coronary artery disease in the first place, and secondarily, training lay people and health care professionals and paraprofessionals in the techniques of CPR and emergency cardiac care.

Although cardiac arrest usually is related to preexisting coronary artery disease, there are other events in which the prompt delivery of CPR alone could mean survival for the victim. These include the cessation of heart and lung action as a result of drowning, suffocation, electrocution, drug overdose, and severe accidental trauma.

cardiac catheterization the insertion of a catheter into a vein or artery and guiding of it into the interior of the heart for purposes of measuring cardiac output, determining the oxygen content of blood in the heart chambers, and evaluating the structural components of the heart. It is indicated whenever it is necessary to establish a precise and definite diagnosis in order to determine whether heart surgery is necessary and to plan the surgical approach.

A, Right-sided heart catheterization. The catheter is inserted into the femoral vein and advanced through the inferior vena cava (or, if into an antecubital or basilic vein, through the superior vena cava), right atrium, and right ventricle and into the pulmonary artery. B, Left-sided heart catheterization. The catheter is inserted into the femoral artery or the antecubital artery. The catheter is passed through the ascending aorta, through the aortic valve, and into the left ventricle. From Ignatavicius and Workman, 2002.

Patient Care. Patients scheduled for cardiac catheterization experience a high level of stress. They are fearful and anxious because the procedure involves the heart, has a potential for some rather serious complications, and could indicate a need for cardiac surgery. Prior to the catheterization the patient will need to know that it is not a surgical procedure, even though a consent form must be signed, food and fluids are restricted, and a surgical preparation of the catheter insertion site is done. The patient should be told of these and other preparations as well as the physical features of the laboratory in which the catheterization is to be done.

During the initial assessment it is important to find out whether the patient has any allergies. The contrast medium used contains iodide salts; if a patient is allergic to iodine or seafood, a contrast medium that does not contain iodine must be used, or antihistamines must be administered before the procedure. A mild tranquilizer or hypnotic may be given just before the procedure to help the patient relax, but a general anesthetic is not used. Patients need to know that they must be awake and cooperative during the procedure. They will be asked to stay in a certain position, cough, breathe deeply, and possibly exercise so that the heart's response to an increased workload can be evaluated. They should be reassured that the laboratory staff is ready and equipped to handle any emergency should the need arise.

Ideally, preprocedure visits by the physician and a member of the staff in the cardiac catheterization laboratory will provide patients with the information they need about the procedure, its purpose, and potential complications. However, because of anxiety the patient may not be able to assimilate the information and will have many questions not asked at the time of the visits. It is then the responsibility of the floor nurses to answer questions as honestly as they can and to provide emotional support and reassurance.

After the procedure the vital signs are checked periodically. It is especially important to check the pulses distal to the insertion site every half-hour for three hours, or as often as required by protocol, to be sure there has been no clotting and obstruction of a blood vessel. The insertion site dressing is changed as needed and the site inspected for signs of infection. Thirst and diuresis are expected because of the effect of the dye used in the procedure. The patient should be encouraged to drink fluids to prevent hypotension and hasten excretion of the dye, which is potentially nephrotoxic. Mild discomfort also is expected and should respond to the prescribed analgesic. If the patient experiences severe pain the physician should be notified.

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arrest Blue on the Green CA calcium acetate calcium carbonate calcium chloride calcium citrate calcium glubionate calcium gluceptate calcium gluconate calcium hydroxide calcium lactate calcium oxide cardiac cardiac catheterization cardiac standstill cardiopulmonary arrest cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)			Based on a study of about 10,000 patients with cardiac arrest due to two potentially problematic cardiac symptoms, the study found rates of survival to discharge were about 25 percent for black patients and 37 percent for white patients. Black heart patients less likely to survive by Currie, Donya / The Nation's Health Post mortem examinations showed that she suffered from heart disease, making her vulnerable to sudden cardiac arrest. Jury out at inquest into arrest death by Birmingham Mail (England) Byline: Lachlan Mackinnon A NEW early warning system for patients in danger of cardiac arrest has been hailed a success. Crash course in saving lives by Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland)			carcinophilia carcinophobia carcinosarcoma carcinosis carcinosis pleurae carcinostatic carcinous Carcopithecus card test cardamom cardamon Cardarelli's sign Cardene cardenolide carder cardi(o)- cardi- cardia cardia- cardiac cardiac action potential cardiac aneurysm cardiac angiography cardiac apex cardiac apnea cardiac arrest cardiac arrhythmia Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial cardiac asthma cardiac atrophy cardiac blood pool imaging Cardiac Blood Pool Scan cardiac care cardiac care: acute cardiac care: rehabilitative cardiac catheter cardiac catheterization cardiac cirrhosis cardiac compression cardiac concussion cardiac conduction defect Cardiac Cripple cardiac cycle cardiac decompensation cardiac decompression cardiac depressant cardiac disease self-management cardiac dyspepsia cardiac dyspnea cardiac dysrhythmia cardiac edema			Cardiac ablation Cardiac Accelerator Center Cardiac action potential Cardiac Acute Care Unit cardiac afterload cardiac afterload cardiac afterload Cardiac Allograft Rejection Gene Expression Observational Study Cardiac Allograft Vascular Disease Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Cardiac amyloidosis Cardiac and Respiratory Education cardiac aneurysm cardiac aneurysm cardiac aneurysm Cardiac angiography cardiac antrum cardiac antrum cardiac antrum cardiac apex cardiac apex cardiac apex cardiac apex cardiac apnea cardiac area cardiac area cardiac area Cardiac arhythmia Cardiac arhythmia Cardiac arhythmia cardiac arrest Cardiac Arrest in Seattle Conventional vs. Amiodarone Drug Evaluation Cardiac Arrest in Seattle Conventional vs. Amiodarone Drug Evaluation Cardiac Arrest in Seattle Conventional vs. Amiodarone Drug Evaluation Cardiac Arrest in Seattle Conventional vs. Amiodarone Drug Evaluation Cardiac Arrest Study Hamburg Ob/Gyn Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study Cardiac Arrest Study Hamburg Ob/Gyn Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study Cardiac Arrest Study Hamburg Ob/Gyn Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study Cardiac Arrest Study Hamburg Ob/Gyn Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study Cardiac Arrest Study Hamburg Ob/Gyn Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study cardiac arrhythmia cardiac arrhythmia cardiac arrhythmia Cardiac Arrhythmia and Risk of Death Patient Outcomes Research Team Cardiac Arrhythmia Society of Southern Africa Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial Cardiac arrhythmia/bradycardia Cardiac arrhythmia/bradycardia Cardiac arrhythmia/bradycardia Cardiac arrhythmia/tachycardia Cardiac arrhythmia/tachycardia Cardiac arrhythmia/tachycardia Cardiac arrhythmias Cardiac arrhythmias Cardiac arrhythmias Cardiac Arrhythmias Research and Education Foundation Cardiac arrythmia Cardiac arrythmia Cardiac arrythmia Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft