Sudden Cardiac Death

Aka: Sudden Cardiac Death

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II. Pathophysiology

  1. Cardiac Arrest resulting in sudden cessation of Cardiac Function
  2. Primary rhythms leading to Sudden Cardiac Death
    1. Ventricular Tachycardia degenerating into Ventricular Fibrillation
    2. Electromechanical Dissociation
    3. Bradycardic Arrhythmias

III. Epidemiology

  1. Incidence: 500,000 cases per year in United States
  2. Gender: Men account for 75% of cases

IV. Causes: Common

  1. Coronary Artery Disease (66% of cases)
  2. Cardiomyopathy with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction
  3. Aortic Stenosis
  4. Electrolyte disturbance (especially drug induced)
  5. Viral Myocarditis
  6. Ventricular Arrhythmias

V. Causes: Uncommon

  1. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
  2. Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (Brugada Syndrome)
  3. Anomalous Coronary Artery origin
  4. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia
  5. Atrial Myxoma
  6. Hepatic stenosis induced
  7. Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
  8. Third degree atrioventricular Heart Block
  9. Sick Sinus Syndrome
  10. Long QT Syndrome

VI. References

  1. Meyer (2003) Am Fam Physician 68(3):483-8 [PubMed]
  2. Zipes (1998) Circulation 98(21): 2334-51 [PubMed]

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