Nationwide study of sudden cardiac death in persons aged 1-35 years.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this investigation was to study the incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in persons aged 1-35 years in a nationwide setting (5.38 million people) by systematic evaluation of all deaths.


RESULTS
All deaths in persons aged 1-35 years in Denmark in 2000-06 were included. Death certificates were read independently by two physicians. The National Patient Registry was used to retrieve information on prior medical history. All autopsy reports were read and the cause of death was revised based on autopsy findings. We identified 625 cases of sudden unexpected death (10% of all deaths), of which 156 (25%) were not autopsied. Of the 469 autopsied cases, 314 (67%) were SCD. The most common cardiac cause of death was ischaemic heart disease (13%); 29% of autopsied sudden unexpected death cases were unexplained. In 45% of SCD cases, the death was witnessed; 34% died during sleep; 89% were out-of-hospital deaths. Highest possible incidence rate of SCD in the young was 2.8 per 100 000 person-years including non-autopsied cases of sudden unexpected death. Excluding those, the incidence rate declined to 1.9 per 100 000 person-years.


CONCLUSIONS
A total of 7% of all deaths in the young can be attributed to SCD, when including non-autopsied cases (autopsy ratio 75%). The incidence rate of SCD in the young of 2.8 per 100 000 person-years is higher than previously reported.
The Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia (DARC), Copenhagen, Denmark. bowinkel@dadlnet.dk
Bo Gregers
BG
Winkel
Anders Gaarsdal
AG
Holst
Juliane
J
Theilade
Ingrid Bayer
IB
Kristensen
Jørgen Lange
JL
Thomsen
Gyda Lolk
GL
Ottesen
Henning
H
Bundgaard
Jesper Hastrup
JH
Svendsen
Stig
S
Haunsø
Jacob
J
Tfelt-Hansen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003644:Death Certificates; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult