Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Most of us think of a heart attack when we hear of heart disease but this is only one type of heart disease. Heart attacks damage the heart muscle and weakens the heart but most heart attacks do not cause the heart to stop. When the heart stops it is referred to as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Most cases will lead to death within minutes if there is no medical care. What happens when the heart stops? To understand what happens when the heart stops, it is first important to understand the function of the heart. After all, when the heart stops its function ceases. The heart is a hollow organ that is made up of four chambers – right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle. Large blood vessels lead to and away from these chambers. Valves control blood flow between chambers and between the chambers and the large blood vessels. The heart is a pump that receives low oxygen blood from the rest of the body (in the right atrium) and pushes this blood to the lungs (from the right ventricle). The blood is then … Continue reading Heart Stopped – What Happens, Causes, Death, First Aid Treatment