title: Rationale and design of the Pan-African Sudden Cardiac Death survey: the Pan-African SCD study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The estimated rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Western countries ranges from 300,000 to 400,000 annually, which represents 0.36 to 1.28 per 1 000 inhabitants in Europe and the United States. The burden of SCD in Africa is unknown. Our aim is to assess the epidemiology of SCD in Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Pan-Africa SCD study is a prospective, multicentre, community-based registry monitoring all cases of cardiac arrest occurring in victims over 15 years old. We will use the definition of SCD as 'witnessed natural death occurring within one hour of the onset of symptoms' or 'unwitnessed natural death within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms'. After approval from institutional boards, we will record demographic, clinical, electrocardiographic and biological variables of SCD victims (including survivors of cardiac arrest) in several African cities. All deaths occurring in residents of districts of interest will be checked for past medical history, circumstances of death, and autopsy report (if possible). We will also analyse the employment of resuscitation attempts during the time frame of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in various patient populations throughout African countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study will provide comprehensive, contemporary data on the epidemiology of SCD in Africa and will help in the development of strategies to prevent and manage cardiac arrest in this region of the world.
authors.affiliation: Teaching Hospital Laquintinie, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon; Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier Victor Provo, Roubaix, France. aimebonny@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Aimé
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonny
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics, Statprest, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ngantcha
authors.affiliation: Service de Réanimation Médicale, Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Sylvie Ndongo
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Amougou
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Adama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie, Hopital Abderrrahmen Mami Ariana, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marrakchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mulago Hospital, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Emmy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okello
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne, Centre Hospitalier Général de Port-Gentil, Gabon.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taty
authors.affiliation: Heart Hospital, HMC, Tripoli, Libya.
authors.forename: Abdulrrazzak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gehani
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Général de Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Mamadou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diakite
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Mohammed  A
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: Pier  D
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lambiase
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Abomey Calavi de Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houenassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, UCT Private Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otieno
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Temu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Teaching Hospital of Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Isaac Koffi
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Owusu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Kamilu M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Karaye
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Abdalla A M
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bo Gregers
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Winkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Priori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000208:ethnology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012107:Research Design; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D001741:Black or African American