[planekT]

What I remember reading was that she was bad enough that she was on a respirator in the hospital for a while, but then recovered a bit and she started breathing on her own.

So, she may have appeared to be dead. Apparently there is a distinction between a heart attack and a cardian arrest, but I'm not sure what the differences are. Anyone wants to answer that, fine. If not, I'll ask my wife when she gets in (she's an RN).

[planekT]

cardian arrest = cardiac arrest.

typing too fast. need....spell...checker.

[planekT]

I've seen some bones of contention on the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack. Here is Mrs. planekT's take on it.

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The distinction between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest is this:

Heart attack is a layman term. It can mean many things, but is generally associated with a myocardial infarction. This generally occurs when there is a blood clot in one of the heart vessels that cuts off oxygen supply to the heart muscle which in turns damages the heart muscle. Heart attacks could also be associated with life threatening arrhythmia's as well. If the myocardial infarction is severe enough or the arrhythmia is life threatening, cardiac arrest may ensue, which is basically when the heart stops beating or goes into an arrhythmia that can not sustain life.

Mrs. planekT

[elli1]

Difference between heart attack & cardiac arrest explained here: http://www.aedhelp.com/sca/sca_same.cfm

Also, heart attacks leave artefacts; cardiac arrest does not, IIRC.