A previously healthy, young adult had cardiopulmonary arrest during a football game and died. The nurse knows which explanation is the most likely cause of death?

Choice A reason: Formation of a clot in the middle cerebral artery is not the most likely cause of death because it is a condition that affects the brain, not the heart. A clot in the middle cerebral artery can cause a stroke, which is a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain, resulting in brain damage and neurological deficits. A stroke can be fatal, but it does not usually cause cardiopulmonary arrest, which is a sudden cessation of heart and lung function.

Choice B reason: Obstruction of left ventricular blood flow and cardiac dysrhythmias is the most likely cause of death because it is a condition that affects the heart, which is the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. Obstruction of left ventricular blood flow can be caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a genetic disorder that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick and stiff, reducing the amount of blood that the heart can pump. Cardiac dysrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that can interfere with the electrical signals that control the heart's contractions. Both conditions can lead to sudden cardiac death, which is a sudden and unexpected loss of heart function, resulting in cardiopulmonary arrest.

Choice C reason: Fluid volume overload and decreased serum potassium levels are not the most likely cause of death because they are conditions that affect the fluid and electrolyte balance of the body, not the heart. Fluid volume overload is a condition where the body retains too much fluid, which can cause edema, hypertension, and heart failure. Decreased serum potassium levels are a condition where the blood has too little potassium, which is an electrolyte that helps regulate the nerve and muscle function, including the heart. Both conditions can affect the heart function, but they are not usually the direct cause of cardiopulmonary arrest.

Choice D reason: Diffuse atherosclerosis in the left main coronary artery circulation is not the most likely cause of death because it is a condition that affects the blood vessels, not the heart. Atherosclerosis is a disease that causes the buildup of plaque, which is a fatty substance, in the walls of the arteries, which are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the organs. Diffuse atherosclerosis in the left main coronary artery circulation means that the plaque affects the entire length of the artery that supplies blood to the left side of the heart, which is the side that pumps blood to the rest of the body. Atherosclerosis can cause coronary artery disease, which is a condition where the heart does not receive enough blood and oxygen, leading to chest pain, angina, or heart attack. A heart attack can cause cardiopulmonary arrest, but it is not as common as sudden cardiac death in young adults.