What is a common cause of cardiac arrest in adults?

Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, is indeed a prevalent cause of cardiac arrest in adults. During a heart attack, blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, typically due to a blood clot in a coronary artery. This lack of oxygen-rich blood can cause the heart to stop functioning properly, leading to cardiac arrest.

The heart relies on a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients provided by the blood. When this supply is disrupted, the heart muscles can become damaged, potentially leading to arrhythmias and stopping the heart's effective pumping action. As a result, the immediate response to cardiac arrest due to myocardial infarction often involves cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation to restore normal heart rhythm.

In contrast, while pneumonia, stroke, and severe allergic reactions can all lead to critical health situations, they are less commonly associated with direct mechanical failure of the heart itself, which is a hallmark of cardiac arrest from a myocardial infarction. For instance, pneumonia can lead to respiratory failure, stroke can affect brain function and autonomic control of the heart, and severe allergic reactions can result in anaphylactic shock, but these conditions do not predominantly cause the heart to stop beating in