The Full form of CA is Cardiac Arrest. It is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. It can come on suddenly, or in the wake of other symptoms. If appropriate steps aren’t taken immediately, Cardiac Arrest is often fatal. Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital setting in the United States. CA is the abrupt loss of heart function, consciousness and breathing. The condition usually results from an electrical disturbance in your heart that disrupts its pumping action, stopping blood flow to your body. A “heart attack” is often mistakenly used to describe cardiac arrest but it is different from a heart attack, when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked. However, a heart attack can sometimes trigger an electrical disturbance that leads to sudden cardiac arrest. If not treated immediately, sudden cardiac arrest can lead to death. With fast, appropriate medical care, survival is possible. Giving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), using a defibrillator — or even just giving compressions to the chest — can improve the chances of survival until emergency workers arrive.