Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Apparently Healthy, Young Adults
Authors: Tseng Zian H. , Nakasuka Kosuke 
Published: February 2025

Importance

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence in apparently healthy adults younger than 40 years ranges from 4 to 14 per 100 000 person-years worldwide. Of an estimated 350 000 to 450 000 total annual out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the US, approximately 10% survive.

Observations

Among young adults who have had cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, approximately 60% die before reaching a hospital (presumed sudden cardiac death), approximately 40% survive to hospitalization (resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest), and 9% to 16% survive to hospital discharge (sudden cardiac arrest survivor), of whom approximately 90% have a good neurological status (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2). Autopsy-based studies demonstrate that 55% to 69% of young adults with presumed sudden cardiac death have underlying cardiac causes, including sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (normal heart by autopsy, most common in athletes) and structural heart disease such as coronary artery disease. Among young adults, noncardiac causes of cardiac arrest outside of a hospital may include drug overdose, pulmonary embolism, subarachnoid hemorrhage, seizure, anaphylaxis, and infection. More than half of young adults with presumed sudden cardiac death had identifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. Genetic cardiac disease such as long QT syndrome or dilated cardiomyopathy may be found in 2% to 22% of young adult survivors of cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, which is a lower yield than for nonsurvivors (13%-34%) with autopsy-confirmed sudden cardiac death. Persons resuscitated from sudden cardiac arrest should undergo evaluation with a basic metabolic profile and serum troponin; urine toxicology test; electrocardiogram; chest x-ray; head-to-pelvis computed tomography; and bedside ultrasound to assess for pericardial tamponade, aortic dissection, or hemorrhage. Underlying reversible causes, such as ST elevation myocardial infarction, coronary anomaly, and illicit drug or medication overdose (including QT-prolonging medicines) should be treated. If an initial evaluation does not reveal the cause of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, transthoracic echocardiography should be performed to screen for structural heart disease (eg, unsuspected cardiomyopathy) or valvular disease (eg, mitral valve prolapse) that can precipitate sudden cardiac death. Defibrillator implant is indicated for young adult sudden cardiac arrest survivors with nonreversible cardiac causes including structural heart disease and arrhythmia syndromes.

Conclusions and Relevance

Cardiac arrest in apparently healthy adults younger than 40 years may be due to inherited or acquired cardiac disease or noncardiac causes. Among young adults who have had cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, only 9% to 16% survive to hospital discharge. Sudden cardiac arrest survivors require comprehensive evaluation for underlying causes of cardiac arrest and cardiac defibrillator should be implanted in those with nonreversible cardiac causes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest .