Following a cardiac arrest, your child will be admitted to hospital — usually to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) — for monitoring, investigation, and stabilisation. The immediate priority is establishing why the arrest happened. This will typically involve an ECG, echocardiogram, blood tests, and possibly an MRI or genetic testing depending on the suspected cause.
If no reversible cause is found, your child’s team will discuss longer-term treatment options. In many cases this will include an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The decision is made jointly between the cardiac team, your child (where age-appropriate), and you as parents or guardians.
Before discharge, you should expect a clear plan covering follow-up appointments, any medication prescribed, activity restrictions, what to do in an emergency, and who to contact with questions. If you do not receive this, ask for it explicitly — you are entitled to it.
The experience is profoundly distressing for parents and family members. Psychological support is available and you should not have to manage this alone. Ask your cardiac team for a referral to a clinical psychologist, and contact SCA UK to connect with other parents who have been through the same experience.