Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD)

Question 1

What is the definition of SCD?

Answer 1

Death from cardiac causes within 1 hour of the onset of acute cardiac symptoms without any preceding symptoms

Question 2

What is the most common mechanism of death in SCD?

Answer 2

Arrhythmia usually ventricular fibrillation

Question 3

80-90% of SCD is due to what?

Answer 3

Ischemic Heart Disease

Question 4

In what age group is SCD most common?

Answer 4

Most common in middle age, 60% of deaths from IHD occur in the 45-65 age group.

Question 5

In SCD what is the usual amount of narrowed vessels found in patients and what is the usual type of plaque involved?

Answer 5

Patients usually have 3 vessel coronary atheroma and the causative plaques are usually of the unstable type.

Question 6

What are the two types of thrombosis involved in SCD?

Answer 6

30% are occlusive thrombus over a disrupted plaque, and 60% are mural thrombus over a disrupted plaque.

Question 7

Atleast 50% of patients with SCD have scars from a past MI why is this of importance?

Answer 7

Scars may lead to altered electrical conduction and thus arrhythmia