Sudden cardiac death in low-resource settings: lessons from a resuscitated cardiac arrest.
We report on the case of an adult black African who was resuscitated from several cardiac arrests but suffered behavioural impairment, and discuss diagnostic pitfalls. The aetiology of coronary free lesion myocardial infarction with depressed left ventricular function was diagnosed when the patient travelled abroad. The low prevalence of recognised sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), as well as the lack of diagnostic and appropriate resuscitation facilities in parts of sub-Saharan Africa lead to the mismanagement of victims. Increased awareness of SCA and its causes is urgently needed.
District Hospital Bonassama, Douala, Cameroon.
Aimé
A
Bonny
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Yaoundé, services de Réanimation, Yaoundé, Cameroun.
Sylvie Ndongo
SN
Amougou
Service de Gastroentérologie, Hospital Central de Yaoundé, Cameroun.
Dominique
D
Noah Noah
Centre des maladies respiratoires de Douala, Cameroun.
Marthe-Liliane
ML
Mbenoun
Department of Medicine, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.
Kamilu
K
Karaye
D000792:Angiography; D002163:Cameroon; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012151:Resuscitation; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy