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Sudden Cardiac Arrest

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Abstract

Sudden cardiac arrest is responsible for 50% of cardiovascular mortality; most occur during or shortly after exertion and progress to sudden cardiac death. Sudden cardiac death in sports is rare but more frequent than previously thought and represents a highly tragic event, especially when it affects young athletes. The causes of sudden cardiac death may be cardiac or noncardiac. Of the cardiac causes, inherited or congenital heart disease predominates in young athletes (<35 years) and coronary artery atherosclerosis in older ones (>35 years). The majority of the individuals are asymptomatic, without clinical or family history, and commonly sudden cardiac arrest is the first clinical manifestation of the disease. Preventative strategies such as pre-participation cardiovascular screening with an ECG offer the opportunity to identify young athletes at risk and provide appropriate treatment and exercise recommendations. However, cardiac screening remains controversial amidst concerns relating to false-positive results, lack of expertise and resources and cost-effectiveness. Another major preventative strategy is early recognition of a sudden cardiac arrest and provision of prompt emergency care. A well-established emergency plan, including personnel training with regular practice, aiming for the immediate initiation of chest compressions and early defibrillation is crucial to good outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George’s University of London, London, UK

    Clea Simone S. S. Colombo & Michael Papadakis

  2. Department of Ergometry, Exercise, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation (DERC), Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Clea Simone S. S. Colombo

  3. Cuore Dello Sport, São Paulo, Brazil

    Clea Simone S. S. Colombo

  4. European Section of Sports Cardiology and Exercise of the EAPC, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Michael Papadakis

  5. Institute Dante Pazzanese of Cardiology—Universidade São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Nabil Ghorayeb

  6. Heart Hospital (Hospital do Coração—HCor), São Paulo, Brazil

    Nabil Ghorayeb

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  1. Clea Simone S. S. Colombo
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  2. Michael Papadakis
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  3. Nabil Ghorayeb
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopedics and Traumatology, State University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Campinas / Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Sérgio Rocha Piedade

  2. Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, University of Munich (TUM), München, Bayern, Germany

    Andreas B. Imhoff

  3. Ascot Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand

    Mark Clatworthy

  4. Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology, Federal University of São Paulo, Vila Clementino - São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Moises Cohen

  5. Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre, Clínica do Dragão, Porto, Portugal

    João Espregueira-Mendes

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Colombo, C.S.S.S., Papadakis, M., Ghorayeb, N. (2019). Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In: Rocha Piedade, S., Imhoff, A., Clatworthy, M., Cohen, M., Espregueira-Mendes, J. (eds) The Sports Medicine Physician. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10433-7_30

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