What is a common outcome when a person experiences cardiac arrest without immediate intervention?

When a person experiences cardiac arrest, their heart stops pumping blood effectively, leading to a rapid cessation of blood flow to vital organs, particularly the brain and heart. If there is no immediate intervention, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or defibrillation, the lack of oxygenated blood can lead to death within a matter of minutes. The body cannot sustain normal physiological functions without a functioning heart, and thus the likelihood of survival decreases dramatically the longer the cardiac arrest goes untreated. This makes death the most direct and immediate outcome when cardiac arrest occurs without timely medical action.