title: [Sudden cardiac death].
abstract: Sudden cardiac death describes the unexpected natural death from cardiac cause within a short time period from the onset of symptoms (usually one hour) in a person without any prior condition that would appear fatal. The mechanism is generally a malignant ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation). Sudden death is a major public health problem as it accounts for 3 to 400,000 deaths annually in the United States. Risk factors, physiopathological mechanisms, disease states associated with sudden death, and primary and secondary prevention treatments are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Erasme, U.L.B.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stoupel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jottrand
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications; D014927:Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors