What do most sudden cardiac arrest victims experience?

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In sudden cardiac arrest, the heart’s rhythm often falls into a chaotic, rapid quivering rather than a coordinated beat. This disorganized activity is ventricular fibrillation, and it’s the most common initial rhythm that leads to collapse. Because the heart isn’t contracting effectively, there’s little to no blood flow, which is why immediate CPR and defibrillation are critical to restore a normal rhythm and circulation. While a heart attack can trigger an arrest, the key point here is the rhythm itself—ventricular fibrillation is the typical onset. Other rhythms like asystole or pulseless electrical activity can occur, but they’re less common as the first rhythm in sudden cardiac arrest.