title: An increase in sudden unexpected cardiac deaths among young Swedish orienteers during 1979-1992.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sixteen cases of sudden unexpected cardiac death, 15 males and one female, are known to have occurred among young Swedish orienteers from 1979 to 1992, of which seven cases occurred between 1989 and 1992. This is considered to be indicative of an increased death rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathological evaluation showed myocarditis in a higher than expected proportion of cases. In one such case, which we studied before the sudden unexpected death occurred, the victim had suffered a Chlamydia pneumoniae infection verified by serology, and a nucleotide sequence was found in the heart and lung by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that hybridized with a probe specific for that organism. Male Swedish orienteers do not, however, seem to have an increased rate of exposure to this agent. No further sudden unexpected deaths among young orienteers have occurred over the past 3.5 years. At the beginning of that period, attempts were made to modify training habits and attitudes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wesslén
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Påhlson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lindquist
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hjelm
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gnarpe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baandrup
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fohlman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Engstrand
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Linglöf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nyström-Rosander
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gnarpe
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magnius
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rolf
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013177:Sports; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology