title: Clinical evaluation of unselected cardiac arrest survivors in a tertiary center over a 1-year period (the LAZARUZ study).
abstract: When the cause of an aborted cardiac arrest is unclear the initiation of therapy, counseling and family screening is challenging.
  
  
  
  We included 43 unselected, prospectively identified cardiac arrest survivors with or without a diagnosis. Family history for cardiac disease and supplemental electrocardiograms were evaluated for additional diagnostic information.
  
  
  
  43 cardiac arrest survivors were included, 34 (79%) were male and the average age was 48years (range 23-64, SD 13.0). The most common etiologies identified in cardiac arrest survivors were ischemic heart disease (33%), cardiomyopathies (14%), miscellaneous (e.g. drug induced arrhythmias, coronary spasms) (12%) and channelopathies (5%). Family history of cardiac disease - even inheritable conditions - was not indicative of etiology in cardiac arrest survivors. Supplemental ECGs were abnormal in 10 of 43 patients; in the majority of these patients (7) no conclusive diagnosis was reached.
  
  
  
  In this study 16/43 (37%) of unselected, prospectively included cardiac arrest survivors remained without a diagnosis despite exhaustive investigations. We may extract additional diagnostic information from simple maneuvers during the recording of the electrocardiogram. We suggest that these ECG derived clues be investigated in future studies including genetic test results and data from relatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet; Department of Cardiology S, Copenhagen University Hospital/Herlev-Gentofte Hospital.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marstrand
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Roskilde University Hospital.
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corell
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology B, Odense University Hospital.
authors.forename: Finn Lund
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet.
authors.forename: Steen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pehrson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bundgaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology S, Copenhagen University Hospital/Herlev-Gentofte Hospital. Electronic address: juliane.theilade@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theilade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D053447:Channelopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Cardiac arrest survivor; Family history; Non-invasive electrophysiology; Sudden cardiac death