Sudden cardiac arrest in sports - need for uniform registration: A Position Paper from the Sport Cardiology Section of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.
There are large variations in the incidence, registration methods and reported causes of sudden cardiac arrest/sudden cardiac death (SCA/SCD) in competitive and recreational athletes. A crucial question is to which degree these variations are genuine or partly due to methodological incongruities. This paper discusses the uncertainties about available data and provides comprehensive suggestions for standard definitions and a guide for uniform registration parameters of SCA/SCD. The parameters include a definition of what constitutes an 'athlete', incidence calculations, enrolment of cases, the importance of gender, ethnicity and age of the athlete, as well as the type and level of sporting activity. A precise instruction for autopsy practice in the case of a SCD of athletes is given, including the role of molecular samples and evaluation of possible doping. Rational decisions about cardiac preparticipation screening and cardiac safety at sport facilities requires increased data quality concerning incidence, aetiology and management of SCA/SCD in sports. Uniform standard registration of SCA/SCD in athletes and leisure sportsmen would be a first step towards this goal.
Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Department of Medicine, Oslo, Norway erik.solberg@diakonsyk.no.
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EE
Solberg
Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden; Karolinska University Hospital.
M
M
Borjesson
St George's University of London, UK.
S
S
Sharma
St George's University of London, UK.
M
M
Papadakis
University Clinic for Cardiology, Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.
M
M
Wilhelm
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
J A
JA
Drezner
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
K G
KG
Harmon
Aspetar, Qatar Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Hospital, Sports Medicine Department, Doha, Qatar.
J M
JM
Alonso
Cardiology - Arrhythmology, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium.
H
H
Heidbuchel
Department of Sports medicine, Perform Sports medicine centre, Burton upon Trent, UK.
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D
Dugmore
Radboud University Nijmegen MC, The Netherlands; Sports Medical Centre Papendal Arnhem, The Netherlands.
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NM
Panhuyzen-Goedkoop
Department of Cardiology, Heart and Diabetes Centre NRW, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
K-P
KP
Mellwig
Pontchaillou Hospital, Rennes, France; INSERM U1099, Rennes, France.
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F
Carre
Department of Cardiology, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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H
Rasmusen
Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
J
J
Niebauer
St George's University of London, UK.
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ER
Behr
Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Italy.
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G
Thiene
St George's University of London, UK.
M N
MN
Sheppard
Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Italy.
C
C
Basso
Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Italy.
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D
Corrado
D001344:Autopsy / Q000592:standards; D002309:Cardiology / Q000592:standards*; D002423:Cause of Death; D032921:Consensus; D003625:Data Collection / Q000592:standards*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004300:Doping in Sports; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013177:Sports / Q000592:standards*; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000592:standards; D009626:Terminology as Topic
Sudden cardiac death; athletes; exercise; registry; sports; sudden cardiac arrest