title: [Sudden cardiac death of rhythmic origin in athletes: literature review].
abstract: The sudden death in athletes is, in the vast majority of cases, related to ventricular fibrillation, often in a subject with unknown cardiovascular abnormality; this dramatic event has a significant impact on society and the medical profession. We conducted through a literature review an analysis of data on sudden cardiac death of rhythmic origin in athletes; sudden death may be cardiovascular in 95.3% of cases and related to ventricular arrhythmia in 88% cases. The main causes are: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital anomalies of coronary arteries, and arhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia for athletes under 35 years, and atherosclerosis beyond 35 years. Prevention is based on three main areas: the medical assessment and screening for cardiovascular disease; the chain of survival; the education of the athlete and the public. All these measures should improve significantly the survival prognosis of patients suffering from these accidents.
authors.affiliation: Servico de Cardiologie, Hôpital Mongi Slim, La Marsa, Tunisie Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar.
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tlili
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben Ameur
authors.forename: Wissem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sdiri
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben Romdhane
authors.forename: Kawther
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bachraoui
authors.forename: Mohamed Rachid
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Boujnah
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D056352:Athletes; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans