Sudden Cardiac Death—1986
Authors: ALFRED E. BUXTON
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1986)

Editorials1 May 1986Sudden Cardiac Death—1986ALFRED E. BUXTON, M.D.ALFRED E. BUXTON, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-104-5-716 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptSudden Cardiac Death(1) is a timely report from a scientific group of the World Health Organization (WHO). This year, 1986, is the 30th anniversary of Zoll and colleagues' report (2) of external defibrillation in humans. The utility of this means to reverse cardiac arrest was subsequently enhanced with technology permitting continuous electrocardiographic monitoring in coronary care units (3). Twenty years later, however, at least half the deaths of patients with cardiovascular disease still occur suddenly and unexpectedly (1). Why? Does our inability to reduce rates of sudden cardiac death stem from inadequate recognition of patients at risk? Does the...References1. . Sudden Cardiac Death. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1985. (WHO Technical Report Series no. 726.) Google Scholar2. ZOLLLINENTHALGIBSONPAULNORMAN PAWML. Termination of ventricular fibrillation in man by externally applied electric countershock. N Engl J Med. 1956;254:727-32. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. PANTRIDGEGEDDES JJ. A mobile intensive-care unit in the management of myocardial infarction. Lancet. 1967;2:271-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. LOWNWOLF BM. Approaches to sudden death from coronary heart disease. Circulation. 1971;44:130-42. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. PRATTFRANCISLUCKWYNDHAMMILLERQUINONES CMJCRM. Analysis of ambulatory electrocardiograms in 15 patients during spontaneous ventricular fibrillation with special reference to preceding arrhythmic events. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1983;2:789-97. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. KEMPFJOSEPHSON FM. Cardiac arrest recorded on ambulatory electrocardiograms. Am J Cardiol. 1984;53:1577-82. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. MILNERPLATIAREIDGRIFFITH PEPL. Ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings at the time of fatal cardiac arrest. Am J Cardiol. 1985;56:588-92. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. JOSEPHSONHOROWITZFARSHIDIKASTOR MLAJ. Recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia: 1. Mechanisms. Circulation. 1978;57:431-40. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. JOSEPHSONHOROWITZFARSHIDI MLA. Continuous local electrical activity: a mechanism of recurrent ventricular tachycardia. Circulation. 1978;57:659-65. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. GARDNERURSELLFENOGLIOWIT PPJA. Electrophysiologic and anatomic basis for fractionated electrograms recorded from healed myocardial infarcts. Circulation. 1985;72:596-611. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. WALDOHENTHORNPLUMBMACLEAN ARVW. Demonstration of the mechanism of transient entrainment and interruption of ventricular tachycardia with rapid atrial pacing. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1984;3(2 pt 1):422-30. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. ALMENDRALGOTTLIEBMARCHLINSKIBUXTONDOHERTYJOSEPHSON JCFAJM. Entrainment of ventricular tachycardia by atrial depolarizations. Am J Cardiol. 1985;56:298-304. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. CAMPBELLMURRAYJULIAN RAD. Ventricular arrhythmias in first 12 hours of acute myocardial infarction: natural history study. Br Heart J. 1981;46:351-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. ANDERSONDECAMILLAMOSS KJA. Clinical significance of ventricular tachycardia (3 beats or longer) detected during ambulatory monitoring after myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1978;57:890-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. BIGGERWELDROLNITZKY JFL. Prevalence, characteristics and significance of ventricular tachycardia (three or more complexes) detected with ambulatory electrocardiographic recording in the late hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1981;48:815-23. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar16. KLEIGERMILLERTHANAVAROPROVINCEMARTINOLIVER RJSMTG. Relationship between clinical features of acute myocardial infarction and ventricular runs 2 weeks to 1 year after infarction. Circulation. 1981;63:64-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar17. BIGGERFLEISSKLEIGERMILLERROLNITZKY JJRJL. The relationships among ventricular arrhythmias, left ventricular dysfunction, and mortality in the 2 years after myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1984;69:250-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. MUKHARJIRUDEPOOLE JRW. Risk factors for sudden death after acute myocardial infarction: two-year follow-up. Am J Cardiol. 1984;54:31-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. TAYLORHUMPHRIESMELLITS GJE. Predictors of clinical course, coronary anatomy and left ventricular function after recovery from acute myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1980;62:960-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar20. . The cardiac arrhythmia pilot study. Am J Cardiol. 1986;57:91-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar21. BUXTONWAXMANMARCHLINSKIUNTEREKERWASPEJOSEPHSON AHFWLM. Role of triple extrastimuli during electrophysiologic study of patients with documented sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Circulation. 1984;69:532-40. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar22. HAMERVOHRAHUNTSLOMAN AJDG. Prediction of sudden death by electrophysiologic studies in high risk patients surviving acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1982;50:223-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar23. RICHARDSCODYDENNISSRUSSELLYOUNGUTHER DDAPAJ. Ventricular electrical instability: a predictor of death after myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1983;51:75-80. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar24. MARCHLINSKIBUXTONWAXMANJOSEPHSON FAHM. Identifying patients at risk of sudden death after myocardial infarction: value of the response to programmed stimulation, degree of ventricular ectopic activity and severity of left ventricular dysfunction. Am J Cardiol. 1983;52:1190-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar25. WASPESEINFELDFERRICKKIMMATOSFISHER LDASJJ. Prediction of sudden death and spontaneous ventricular tachycardia in survivors of complicated myocardial infarction: value of the response to programmed stimulation using a maximum of three ventricular extrastimuli. Am Coll Cardiol. 1985;5:1292-301. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar26. ROYMARCHANDTHEROUXWATERSPELLETIERBOURASSA DEPDGM. Programmed ventricular stimulation in survivors of an acute myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1985;72:487-94. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar27. KANOVSKYFALCONEDRESDENJOSEPHSONSIMSON MRCMM. Identification of patients with ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction: signal-averaged electrocardiogram, Holter monitoring, and cardiac catheterization. Circulation. 1984;70:264-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar28. BREITHARDTSCHWARZMAIERBORGGREFEHAERTENSEIPEL GJMKL. Prognostic significance of late ventricular potentials after acute myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J. 1983;4:487-95. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByFish Oils and Omega-3 Fatty AcidsFish Oils (Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Dietary Fish, and Fish Oils)Durchblutungsstörungen des MyokardImprecision of the clinical diagnosis of coronary heart disease in epidemiological studies and atherogenesisScreening for snipers: The burden of proofFISH AND THE HEARTTHE INFLUENCE OF AGE AND DIETARY FAT IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATHPassive smoking at workCauses of 'natural' sudden death.Pet birds as a risk factor for lung cancer.Signal-Averaged Electrocardiography: A New Noninvasive Test To Identify Patients at Risk for Ventricular ArrhythmiasThe electrocardiogram in prediction of sudden death: Framingham Study experience 1 May 1986Volume 104, Issue 5Page: 716-718KeywordsBloodCardiac care unitCardiovascular diseasesElectrocardiographyGlobal healthHeartLungsSudden cardiac death Issue Published: 1 May 1986 PDF DownloadLoading ...