Sudden cardiac death ( cardiac arrest ) people die within minutes after onset of symptoms

SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH  (  CARDIAC ARREST ) .  


Sudden cardiac death (also called sudden arrest) is death resulting from a sudden loss of heart function (cardiac arrest). The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. The time and cause of death is unexpected. It occurs within minutes after onset of symptoms. The most common reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease (fatty deposits in the arteries that supply the heart muscle).
An estimated 294,851 emergency stop care treated outside hospital cardiac arrest occur in the United States each year.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY .

The heart is an electric pump when electricity is produced in specialized pacemaker cells in the upper chamber, or atrium of the heart. The electric spark on the roads in the heart so that all contracts of both muscle cells and produce a heartbeat. This pump blood through the heart valves and all organs of the body, so they can do their work.

This mechanism can be decomposed into a variety of ways, but the final step for sudden death is the same: the electrical system is irritated and does not produce electrical activity that causes the heart to beat. The heart muscle can not supply blood to the body, especially the brain and the body dies. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is the most common cause of sudden death in patients. Without a coordinated electrical signal, the bottom of the heart chambers (ventricles) and stop beating in his place, and stir gelatin. Ventricular fibrillation is treated with electric shock, but to be effective, the impact is usually occur within four to six minutes, not only to be effective, but also to minimize brain damage from lack of blood and oxygen.

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are usually available in public places, while almost everyone to deal with sudden death. Less common is the heart just stops beating. The absence of a heartbeat is called asystole .

CAUSES  .

Sudden death is often caused by heart disease. When the blood vessels to narrow and the heart muscle can become irritated by your lack of blood flow. In a heart attack (myocardial infarction), blood vessel will be completely prevented blood clotting, and is sufficient to cause irritability, muscle fibrillation. In fact, many reasons with chest pain are hospitalized to monitor your heart rate and signs of rhythm, which can lead to ventricular fibrillation. Sudden death may also be the first presentation of heart disease.

Congestive heart failure and heart valve problems like aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve) also increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiomyopathy is a broad category of heart disease in which the heart muscle does not contract properly for some reason. Often these are ischemic, where part of the heart muscle does not receive an adequate blood supply for a prolonged period and no longer pump blood efficiently. People whose ejection fractions (volume of blood pumped out of the heart with each heartbeat) the risk is less than 30% increase in sudden death (a normal ejection fraction is greater than 50%). Some people may develop a cardiomyopathy in the absence of ischemic heart disease.

Inflammation of the heart muscle or myocarditis  can cause arrhythmias. Diseases such as sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, and infections can cause inflammation of the heart muscle. Some are born to make electrical installations, which are defective, giving them a higher risk of arrhythmia. Part to the wiring or electrical conduction system, as the syndrome of Wolff-Parkinson-White, while others stem from structural problems of the basic structural heart as Marfan syndrome.

pulmonary embolism, a clot in the lungs, can also cause sudden death. Blood clots form in leg or arm, and may break the flow to the lungs where they fall in the capacity of lungs to get oxygen from the air to the body. Risk factors for thrombosis include surgery, prolonged immobilization (eg, hospitalization, car rides or plane along), trauma or certain diseases like cancer. Blunt chest trauma, is in a motor vehicle accident can cause ventricular fibrillation.

Changes in heart size or structure could affect the electrical system. Examples of such changes include an enlarged heart due to blood pressure or heart disease advanced. Heart infections can also cause structural changes in the heart.

A tendency to have rhythm disturbances in some families. This tendency is inherited, which means it has passed from parents to children. The members of these families may be at increased risk of SCA. An example of a hereditary disease that makes you more likely to have arrhythmias has long QT syndrome (LQTS). LQTS is a disturbance of the heart's electrical activity due to problems with small pores on the surface of the heart muscle cells. LQTS can cause sudden, uncontrollable, dangerous heart rhythms. People who inherit structural heart problems may also be at increased risk of SCA. Many cases of SCA in children caused by these problems.

The term " massive heart attack " is often used incorrectly in the media to describe sudden death. The  word  “attack  heart “ refers to the death of heart muscle due to loss of blood supply does not necessarily cause cardiac arrest or death of a heart attack victim. A heart attack can cause cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death, but the terms are not synonymous.

SYMPTOMS .

Some people may have symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, such as racing heart rate, or may feel dizzy, alerting them to potentially dangerous heart rhythm problem has started. More than half of cases, however, sudden cardiac arrest occurs without symptoms.

DIAGNOSIS .

Sudden cardiac arrest is an unexpected death in a person who had no known previous diagnosis of a terminal illness or condition. The person may or may not have heart disease.

Diagnostic tests may include a repeated electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) and cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology studies in which electrical pathways of the heart are allocated.


PREVENTION .

There are several things people can do to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of sudden death. To begin with, a heart of life "healthy" life can help reduce the chances of dying of a heart attack or other heart conditions. This includes exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, maintain a reasonable weight and avoiding snuff. The treatment and control of diseases and conditions that may contribute to heart problems, hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, is also important.

Finally, for some patients, prevention of sudden cardiac death means to control or stop the heartbeat that can trigger ventricular fibrillation ( VF ). The treatment of arrhythmias is done in three ways:


Medicine, including ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and other antiarrhythmics, can control the abnormal heart rhythms or treat other conditions that can contribute to heart disease or SCD. But medication alone has not proved very effective in reducing cardiac arrest. These drugs, sometimes to patients who also have an ICD to reduce the frequency of fires.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators ( ICD )  -  These units have been very effective in preventing sudden cardiac death in patients at high risk. Like a pacemaker, ICDS implanted under the skin. Son called leads run from the ICD to the heart and the device monitors the heart to detect any abnormal rhythms. If a dangerous arrhythmia is detected, the ICD offers an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac death. ICD can also act as a pacemaker if the heart beats too slowly.

Catheter ablation  -  In this technique, radiofrequency energy (heat), cryotherapy (freezing), or other forms of energy are used to destroy small areas of the heart muscle that give rise to abnormal electrical signals that cause a heartbeat fast or irregular. Power is provided by sensors that slipped through the veins or arteries of the heart. Catheter ablation is sometimes done in patients with an ICD to decrease the frequency of heart rhythm disturbances, and again, to reduce the frequency of fires in aircraft.


Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4-6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is reversible in most victims if treated within minutes of electric shock to restore normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. The victim's chances of survival decreased 7-10 percent every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes. If anyone is aware, immediately call for emergency . They can be affected by sudden cardiac arrest.