Which current level is associated with potential cardiac arrest risk?

Which current level is associated with potential cardiac arrest risk?

• A. 500 amperes
• B. 50 milliamperes or more
• C. 0.5 milliampere
• D. 5 amperes

Answer: (B)

Current through the body can disrupt the heart’s rhythm, and the heart is especially vulnerable when current passes through the chest. About fifty milliamperes or more through the heart can trigger ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest; the risk increases with higher current, longer exposure, and AC current tends to be more dangerous for the heart than DC. Very small currents, such as a fraction of a milliampere, are unlikely to cause cardiac arrest, while currents in the ampere range are acutely dangerous but the commonly cited threshold for potential cardiac arrest risk is around 50 mA or more.

Current through the body can disrupt the heart’s rhythm, and the heart is especially vulnerable when current passes through the chest. About fifty milliamperes or more through the heart can trigger ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest; the risk increases with higher current, longer exposure, and AC current tends to be more dangerous for the heart than DC. Very small currents, such as a fraction of a milliampere, are unlikely to cause cardiac arrest, while currents in the ampere range are acutely dangerous but the commonly cited threshold for potential cardiac arrest risk is around 50 mA or more.