Cardiac arrest is defined as the abrupt cessation of effective circulation, a final common pathway of diverse underlying causes (most commonly coronary ischemia, along with cardiomyopathies, structural lesions, electrical conduction abnormalities, metabolic disturbances, and toxic ingestions). In emergency medicine, initial assessment of a potentially arrested patient follows the "C-A-B" priority (circulation before airway/breathing), replacing the traditional ABC approach, because determining pulselessness via carotid palpation is the single most critical diagnostic step governing whether resuscitation is initiated. Cardiac arrest rhythms are classified as shockable (ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia) versus non-shockable (pulseless electrical activity, asystole), a distinction with major prognostic significance for survival.
Cardiac arrest is defined as the abrupt cessation of effective circulation, a final common pathway of diverse underlying causes (most commonly coronary ischemia, along with cardiomyopathies, structur…