Sudden cardiac death (SCD)

Chest | Cardiology | Sudden cardiac death (SCD) (Disease)


Description

Sudden cardiac death is a quick death, natural and unexpected, occurring in the first hour of the onset of heart disease in people with known heart disease or unknown. Not included in this framework instant deaths and violent deaths are excluded. Sudden cardiac death is 80% of sudden deaths in adults. Classification of sudden deaths is sudden death obvious organic lesions; organic sudden death with uncharacteristic changes; functional sudden death with pre-existing pathological state; functional sudden death by inhibition; essential functional sudden death (autopsy white).

The time of onset of symptoms to death; unexpected nature, unpredictable; presence or history of heart disease; specific etiology.

Causes and Risk factors

The causes are acute myocardial infarction ischemic cardiomyopathy and lethal arrhythmias (malignant); aortic dissection secondary to myxoid degeneration of the aortic media; coronary anomalies (bridging the coronary); acute alcoholism (holiday heart syndrome) and chronic alcoholism;Drug (heroin); cardiomyopathy. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the natural death, rapid and unexpected due to cardiac causes, occurring during one hour of onset of acute symptoms in a person with cardiac disease or unknown.

Cause sudden death 20-30% of overall mortality, there are two peaks of incidence. The first peak of incidence is recorded between birth and age 6 months (sudden infant death syndrome). The second peak occurs between 45 si75 years. After 70 years observed a lower incidence of sudden death. Sudden mortality is more common in men and incidence is higher in developed than in developing ones.

SCD can occur in apparently healthy people, the first and last manifestation of the disease (especially heart disease ischemic) or a person with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in an unexpected moment, the occurrence of death was not preceded by a progressive worsening of underlying disease. nonspecific hereditary factors contribute to risk for sudden death, accounting for hereditary predisposition to coronary heart disease. The incidence of SCD is higher for black than white.

Diagnosis and Treatment

MSC is a direct consequence of cardiac arrest can be reversible if it occurs promptly, before the final cessation of brain function (brain death) and other functions (biological death).

Should the patient survive to be transported to the hospital, the reason for collapse and sudden death will need to be diagnosed. Regardless, the ABCs of resuscitation will be re-evaluated. Airway, Breathing, and Circulation (heart beat and blood pressure) will be supported, and admission to an intensive care unit is most likely.

Diagnostic tests may include repeated electrocardiograms (EKGs), echocardiogram (ultrasounds of the heart), and cardiac catheterization and electrophysiologic studies, in which the electrical pathways of the heart are m...