Respiratory arrest is potentially fatal because it can lead to which of the following?

Respiratory arrest is potentially fatal because it can lead to which of the following?

• A. Cardiac arrest
• B. Renal failure
• C. Liver failure
• D. Seizures

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that stopping respiration rapidly deprives the body of oxygen, causing severe hypoxemia. The heart is highly sensitive to low oxygen, and without it the myocardial cells lose energy, electrical stability deteriorates, and dangerous arrhythmias can develop. This progression can lead directly to cardiac arrest, which is why respiratory arrest is considered potentially fatal—the heart may stop before other organ failures become evident. While prolonged hypoxia can eventually cause renal or liver failure and can trigger seizures, these are typically later consequences; the immediate life-threatening event from respiratory arrest is the onset of cardiac arrest.

The main idea is that stopping respiration rapidly deprives the body of oxygen, causing severe hypoxemia. The heart is highly sensitive to low oxygen, and without it the myocardial cells lose energy, electrical stability deteriorates, and dangerous arrhythmias can develop. This progression can lead directly to cardiac arrest, which is why respiratory arrest is considered potentially fatal—the heart may stop before other organ failures become evident. While prolonged hypoxia can eventually cause renal or liver failure and can trigger seizures, these are typically later consequences; the immediate life-threatening event from respiratory arrest is the onset of cardiac arrest.