According to the American Heart Association, more than 436,000 deaths occur from cardiac arrest each year in the U.S.
Cardiac arrest is a sudden loss of heart function, caused when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions. The heart stops beating properly, and its pumping function is “arrested,” or stopped.
In women, symptoms can be very different than in men. They may include shortness of breath and nausea, and may be mistaken for indigestion or the flu.
One morning in May 2024, Michelle Alvarado, a San Diego mother of three, woke up with what she thought was indigestion from something she ate. Later that afternoon, she told her husband she was going to take some medicine and rest before dinner. She then collapsed.
Her husband first thought she had fainted, but noticed she was unresponsive and not breathing. He checked for a pulse, which was absent, and started CPR and called 911. Paramedics determined she was experiencing cardiac arrest. They provided electrical shocks and continued CPR while transporting Michelle to Sharp Memorial Hospital. In total, she underwent CPR for 86 minutes.
At the hospital, Michelle received a lifesaving procedure called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO is a temporary, advanced life-support system that takes over the work of the heart and lungs to maintain blood flow to the body. It is used in emergency situations while doctors determine and treat the underlying cause of cardiac arrest.
Michelle’s cardiac arrest was caused by ventricular fibrillation, a heart rhythm abnormality where the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) quiver rapidly instead of pumping blood. Her care was part of San Diego County’s Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR) pilot program, which uses CPR that incorporates an ECMO machine.
Sharp Memorial has been performing ECMO since 1986. The trained team of emergency room physicians, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and nurses quickly deploy and manage patients receiving this specialized care.
Approximately one-third of patients in San Diego County who receive ECPR after a life-threatening cardiac arrest come to Sharp Memorial to be treated with ECMO.
Sharp has cardiac specialists across San Diego County focused on helping patients improve their heart health.
To learn more, visit sharp.com/heart or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
