Sudden cardiac death

Sudden cardiac death is an unexpected death caused by abrupt loss of heart function, usually within an hour of symptom onset or within 24 hours of last being seen well.

Ventricular fibrillation: A disorganized ventricular rhythm that prevents effective pumping and causes cardiac arrest. It is the most common immediately fatal rhythm underlying sudden cardiac death.
Coronary artery disease: Narrowing or blockage of the arteries supplying the heart, usually caused by atherosclerosis. It is the leading underlying disease associated with sudden cardiac death in adults.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Emergency chest compressions and, when available, rescue breaths used to maintain circulation during cardiac arrest. Immediate CPR helps preserve blood flow while definitive treatment is arranged.
Risk stratification: The estimation of an individual's likelihood of experiencing a specified health outcome. Clinicians must identify who faces enough risk to justify preventive treatment.
Ventricular tachycardia: A rapid rhythm originating in the ventricles that can impair circulation or progress to ventricular fibrillation. It can trigger collapse directly or deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation.
Acute myocardial infarction: Heart muscle injury caused by a sudden interruption of coronary blood flow. An acute infarction can trigger the lethal rhythm that causes sudden cardiac death.
Automated external defibrillator: A portable device that analyzes heart rhythm and delivers a shock when a shockable rhythm is detected. Early defibrillation can terminate ventricular fibrillation before it becomes fatal.
Sudden cardiac death in athletes: Sudden cardiac death occurring during or shortly after athletic activity. Its rarity and high visibility complicate screening policy and risk communication.
Cardiac arrest: The sudden loss of effective heart pumping, causing blood flow to stop. Sudden cardiac death is a fatal outcome of cardiac arrest.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, sometimes obstructing blood flow or causing arrhythmias. It is a prominent structural cause of sudden cardiac death in younger people.

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