The terms “heart attack”
and “cardiac arrest” are often used interchangeably. However, they
are not equivalent. “Cardiac arrest” simply implies the heart has
stopped pumping blood. A heart attack is a lack of blood flow to a
specific area of the heart caused by some blockage, spasm, or
rupture.
People who have a heart attack are significantly more likely to
survive than those who suffer cardiac arrest. While both are bad,
cardiac arrest is worse.