What is it called when the heart stops beating and is no longer pumping blood to the rest of the body?

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A cardiac arrest is when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body. When your heart stops pumping blood, your brain is starved of oxygen. This causes you to fall unconscious and stop breathing.

What is it called when the heart stops beating and is no longer pumping blood to the rest of the body?

What are the signs of a cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest usually happens without warning. If someone is in cardiac arrest, they collapse suddenly and:

  • will be unconscious
  • will be unresponsive and 
  • won't be breathing or breathing normally - not breathing normally may mean they’re making gasping noises.

Without immediate treatment or medical attention, the person will die. If you see someone having a cardiac arrest, phone 999 immediately and start CPR.

Learn CPR

What causes a cardiac arrest?

A common cause of a cardiac arrest is a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF).

VF happens when the electrical activity of the heart becomes so chaotic that the heart stops pumping, Instead, it quivers or 'fibrillates'.

The main causes of cardiac arrest related to the heart are:

  • a heart attack (caused by coronary heart disease)
  • cardiomyopathy and some inherited heart conditions
  • congenital heart disease
  • heart valve disease
  • acute myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).

Some other causes of cardiac arrest include:

  • electrocution
  • a drug overdose
  • a severe haemorrhage (known as hypovolaemic shock) – losing a large amount of blood
  • hypoxia - caused by a severe drop in oxygen levels. 

What's the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

A heart attack and cardiac arrest are not the same.

A heart attack happens when the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off. This is often caused by a clot in one of the coronary arteries. The heart is still pumping blood around the body during a heart attack. The person will be conscious and breathing.

A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest. It's vitally important to get medical attention immediately by calling 999 for an ambulance if you experience heart attack symptoms. 

How is a cardiac arrest treated?

Starting immediate CPR is vital as it keeps blood and oxygen circulating to the brain and around the body. A defibrillator will then deliver a controlled electric shock to try and get the heart beating normally again.

Public access defibrillators are often in locations like train stations and shopping centres. Anyone can use one and you don't need training to do so. 

If you're with someone who's having a cardiac arrest, call 999, start CPR and use a defibrillator if there’s one nearby. Follow instructions from the 999 operator until emergency services take over.

The Ticker Tapes Podcast

Ripon was one of the 30,000 people to have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the UK, and he probably wouldn’t be here if those two strangers hadn’t have stopped, called 999 and started CPR. Hear his story and other real experiences from people living with heart and circulatory diseases.

Hear Ripon's story

Recovery after a cardiac arrest

Immediate recovery

After a cardiac arrest, you’ll have been looked after in a coronary care or intensive care unit. You may have been put in an induced coma and kept asleep to allow your body to recover. 

Mid-term recovery

Doctors and cardiologists will want to work out what caused the cardiac arrest. They can then recommend medication and treatment, such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), to reduce the risk of it happening again. 

They may also refer you to cardiac rehabilitation to help rebuild your confidence, fitness and strength levels. Each programme is different, but it usually involves regular assessments such as checking your pulse and blood pressure, psychological support, health education talks and exercise sessions. 

Long-term recovery

It will take time to recover after a cardiac arrest, but your doctor will support you during this time. Talk to family and doctors about what will happen once you go home and practical matters, like driving and returning to work.

Your doctor may suggest making lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of another cardiac arrest. This can include:

  • eating a healthy diet
  • quitting smoking
  • cutting down on alcohol
  • being physically active.

Because of a lack of oxygen to the brain during a cardiac arrest, you might experience long-term effects to your brain. These can include:

  • personality changes 
  • problems with memory
  • fatigue
  • dizziness or balance issues
  • aphasia/dysphasia (problems with speech and language)
  • myoclonus (involuntary movements)
  • permanent brain injury.

It’s normal to have no memory of a cardiac arrest. This can be alarming for you and your family members who may have seen it happening.

  • Get information about caring for someone who's had a cardiac arrest. 

It’s also common to feel low, angry, confused or a combination of lots of different emotions due to the shock of the experience. Speak to your doctor if you’re concerned about your mental health as they may be able to refer you to counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). 

Our emotional wellbeing webpages also have information about topics such as anxiety and depression.

  • Read about Rehana’s cardiac arrest at the age of 22. 

Heart Helpline & other support:

  • Get advice and support if you've given CPR to a loved one or stranger in cardiac arrest. 
  • Call our Heart Helpline on 0300 330 3311 between Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
  • Speak to others with heart conditions by joining a support group or online community.
  • Sign up to our Heart Matters magazine and online information packed with health and lifestyle advice.
  • Find more support from Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK, including meeting people who've had a cardiac arrest.

Last reviewed: November 2019

Next review: November 2021

What is it called when your heart stops pumping blood?

When the heart stops pumping blood, it's called cardiac arrest. If immediate action isn't taken to resuscitate the heart, the person will die. Around 300,000 to 400,000 people experience cardiac arrest every year. It's possible to survive cardiac arrest without lasting damage only if treatment is quickly delivered.

What happens if your heart just stops beating?

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating, which stops oxygen-rich blood from reaching the brain and other organs. A person can die from SCA in minutes if it is not treated right away.

What causes heart to stop suddenly?

Some of the most common causes of sudden cardiac arrest are: low oxygen levels, severe electrolyte abnormalities, a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), a blood clot in the heart (heart attack), certain drugs, or certain irregular heart rhythms.

What is it called when your heart stops and starts again?

Types of palpitation You may have the feeling that your heart stops beating for a moment, and then starts again with a "thump" or a "bang".