What causes a cardiac arrest?
The most common cause of a cardiac arrest is a life threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF).
Ventricular fibrillation happens when the electrical activity of your heart becomes so chaotic that the heart stops pumping and quivers or 'fibrillates' instead. There are various causes of VF. These can be problems with your heart, or other causes.
The most common cause of a cardiac arrest is a life threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF).
Ventricular fibrillation happens when the electrical activity of your heart becomes so chaotic that the heart stops pumping and quivers or 'fibrillates' instead. There are various causes of VF. These can be problems with your heart, or other causes.
| Heart-related causes of VF | Other causes of VF |
| Coronary heart disease | A lack of oxygen in your body - for example, if you are choking |
| Heart attack | Electrocution |
| Cardiomyopathy | Using recreational drugs, such as cocaine |
| Congenital heart disease | Losing a large amount of blood |
| Heart valve disease | |
| Acute Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) | |
| Heart conduction disorders that make you more likely to experience abnormal heart rhythms, such as Long QT syndrome | |