Sudden cardiac death 5696267 219182036 2008-06-13T23:22:10Z CH52584 3032105 wikify {{Infobox_Disease | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = | ICD10 = {{ICD10|I|46|1|i|30}} | ICD9 = | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = D016757 | }} The term '''sudden cardiac death''' refers to [[natural death]] from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of [[consciousness]] within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms.<ref>Myerburg, Robert J. "Cardiac Arrest and Sudden Cardiac Death" in ''Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine,'' 7th edition. [[Philadelphia]]: WB Saunders, 2005.</ref> Other forms of sudden death may be noncardiac in origin. Examples of this include [[respiratory arrest]] (such as due to airway obstruction, which may be seen in cases of [[choking]] or [[asphyxiation]]), toxicity or poisoning, [[anaphylaxis]], or trauma.<ref>[http://poptop.hypermart.net/sudden.html Sudden Unexpected Death: Causes and Contributing Factors] on poptop.hypermart.net.</ref> It is important to make a distinction between this term and the related term '''[[cardiac arrest]]''', which refers to cessation of cardiac pump function which may be reversible (i.e., may not be fatal). The phrase ''sudden cardiac death'' is a [[public health]] concept incorporating the features of ''natural'', ''rapid'', and ''unexpected''. It does not specifically refer to the mechanism or cause of death. ==Causes== Although the most frequent underlying cause of sudden cardiac death is [[coronary artery disease]], other categories of causes include: * Non-atherosclerotic [[coronary artery]] abnormalities * [[Organ hypertrophy|Hypertrophy]] of ventricular myocardium * Myocardial diseases and [[heart failure]], including ** [[Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy]] ** [[Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]] ** [[Dilated cardiomyopathy]] ** [[Myocardial infarction]] ** [[Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy]] * Inflammatory, infiltrative, [[neoplastic]], and degenerative processes * Diseases of the [[cardiac valve]]s * [[Congenital heart disease]] * Primary electrophysiological abnormalities, such as ** [[Long QT syndrome]], both [[congenital]] and acquired ** [[Sick sinus syndrome]] ** [[Brugada syndrome]] ** [[Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia]] * Rhythm instability related to neurohumoral and [[central nervous system]] influences * [[Commotio cordis]] * Mechanical interference with venous return * [[Aortic dissection]] * Toxic/metabolic disturbances ==References== <references/> ==External links== *[http://hcm.stanfordhospital.com/ Information from the Stanford Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center] *[http://www.aral.org.uk/html/sudden_cardiac_arrest.html/ Arrhythmia Alliance] Sudden Cardiac Arrest Page {{Circulatory system pathology}} [[Category:Cardiology]] [[Category:Public health]] [[de:Plötzlicher Herztod]] [[es:Muerte súbita cardiaca]] [[pl:Nagła śmierć sercowa]] [[fi:Äkkikuolema]]