While both are heart emergencies, a heart and cardiac arrest differ in some key ways. A heart attack happens when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, usually due to a clot or narrowing in the coronary arteries. This blockage prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart tissue, causing damage or death to that part of the heart. However, during a heart attack, the heart usually continues to beat, although the person may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, or sweating. In contrast, sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem where the heart suddenly stops beating effectively due to an abnormal heart rhythm, causing the heart to stop pumping blood to the brain and other vital organs. This leads to immediate loss of consciousness, absence of pulse, and no breathing. Cardiac arrest can occur suddenly without warning and is often fatal within minutes. (like in Shefali’s case)
