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Dial 911 to get help immediately if someone’s heart stops beating

	Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency – dial 911 immediately to get medical help. Turn to ConsumerReportsHealth.org to learn how to try to start a person’s heart while help is on the way.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org to learn which treatments rate best to get the heart started again after cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart stops beating, and you can’t feel a pulse. If you find someone like this, it’s vital to get their heart started again as quickly as possible. We’ve brought together the best research about cardiac arrest and weighed the evidence about how to treat it.

Key points about cardiac arrest

• Someone experiencing cardiac arrest may first feel sick, dizzy, have chest pains, and find it difficult to breathe. Ultimately, they will become unconscious and stop breathing.
• Without prompt emergency treatment, cardiac arrest is nearly always fatal. That is why it is important to call 911 immediately if you encounter someone who has had cardiac arrest.
• While waiting for medical help to arrive, there are things you can do to help get the heart started again.
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be performed – it involves rhythmically pressing down on the chest and breathing into the mouth.
• Another way to get the heart started is to give it an electric shock with a machine called a defibrillator.
• Several drugs have been tried in people who have cardiac arrest. But more research is needed to know whether any can help.

We encourage you to read our entire condition report about cardiac arrest. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, you’ll have access to our expert research and recommendations, and you’ll be more knowledgeable about what to do if someone around you has cardiac arrest.