Progress in Preventing Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Identification of risk factors allows certain individuals to avoid an arrhythmia that can be deadly

Published: January 22, 2024

Screen Shot 2024-01-01 at 5.10.54 PM — © MaryValery | Getty Images Defibrillation is the only way to save the life of someone whose first episode of V-tach causes their heart to stop. Implantable cardiac defibrillators are now recommended for people at risk of sudden cardiac death. However, catheter-based ablation can help at-risk individuals avoid another potentially deadly incident of the arrhythmia.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the term used to describe a heart that has unexpectedly stopped because its electrical activity has ceased. A person in SCA has no heartbeat, and blood stops circulating through their body. Unless a normal heart rhythm is quickly restored, sudden cardiac death is likely.