Sudden cardiac death in pediatrics.
OBJECTIVE
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a rare but tragic event in children. This review highlights the important advances in this field during the last year, both in the understanding of the underlying diseases and in improvements in the management of patients at risk for SCD.


RESULTS
The study of SCD has focused on several major themes: progress in understanding the causes and treatments of genetic cardiovascular diseases, improved management of patients with congenital heart disease with SCD risk, treatment strategies for SCD risk reduction in patients with cardiomyopathies, and defining guidelines for athletic preparticipation screening.


CONCLUSIONS
With advances in understanding of the causes and risk factors for SCD, management of children at risk for SCD continues to improve. This includes improved clinical criteria for identifying SCD risk as well as optimizing management strategies such as exercise restriction, antiarrhythmic medications, and implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy.
Bar-Cohen
Yaniv
Y
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA. msilka@chla.usc.edu
Silka
Michael J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital / Q000601:surgery; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology