Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Military Recruits: Guarding the Heart of a Soldier
Authors: Gary J. Balady
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Editorials7 December 2004Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Military Recruits: Guarding the Heart of a SoldierGary J. Balady, MDGary J. Balady, MDFrom Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Sudden unexpected death is always tragic, but especially so when it occurs in soldiers. Death in combat is devastating, but it is an inherent risk of an occupation that calls for individuals to put their life at risk for others. Sudden cardiac death during basic military training should raise concern because it implies failures at many levels: a potentially fatal cardiovascular abnormality that fails to generate symptoms or signs of the underlying disorder; the patient's failure to recognize and report unusual symptoms; the physician's failure to recognize nonspecific symptoms that may represent a serious underlying cardiovascular condition; routine screening methods ...References1. Eckart RE, Scoville SL, Campbell CL, Shry EA, Stajduhar KC, Potter RN, et al. Sudden death in young adults: a 25-year review of autopsies in military recruits. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:829-34. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Drehner D, Neuhauser KM, Neuhauser TS, Blackwood GV. Death among U.S. Air Force basic trainees, 1956 to 1996. Mil Med. 1999;164:841-7. [PMID: 10628154] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Gardner JW, Gutmann FD, Potter RN, Kark JA. Nontraumatic exercise-related deaths in the U.S. military, 1996-1999. Mil Med. 2002;167:964-70. [PMID: 12502168] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Phillips M, Robinowitz M, Higgins JR, Boran KJ, Reed T, Virmani R. Sudden cardiac death in Air Force recruits. A 20-year review. JAMA. 1986;256:2696-9. [PMID: 3773175] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Scoville SL, Gardner JW, Magill AJ, Potter RN, Kark JA. Nontraumatic deaths during U.S. Armed Forces basic training, 1977-2001. Am J Prev Med. 2004;26:205-12. [PMID: 15026099] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Amital H, Glikson M, Burstein M, Afek A, Sinnreich R, Weiss Y, et al. Clinical characteristics of unexpected death among young enlisted military personnel: results of a three-decade retrospective surveillance. Chest. 2004;126:528-33. [PMID: 15302740] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Maron BJ, Chaitman BR, Ackerman MJ, Bayés de Luna A, Corrado D, Crosson JE, et al. Recommendations for physical activity and recreational sports participation for young patients with genetic cardiovascular diseases. Circulation. 2004;109:2807-16. [PMID: 15184297] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Van Camp SP, Bloor CM, Mueller FO, Cantu RC, Olson HG. Nontraumatic sports death in high school and college athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;27:641-7. [PMID: 7674867] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Thompson PD, Funk EJ, Carleton RA, Sturner WQ. Incidence of death during jogging in Rhode Island from 1975 through 1980. JAMA. 1982;247:2535-8. [PMID: 6978411] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Siscovick DS, Weiss NS, Fletcher RH, Lasky T. The incidence of primary cardiac arrest during vigorous exercise. N Engl J Med. 1984;311:874-7. [PMID: 6472399] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Maron BJ, Thompson PD, Puffer JC, McGrew CA, Strong WB, Douglas PS, et al. Cardiovascular preparticipation screening of competitive athletes. A statement for health professionals from the Sudden Death Committee (clinical cardiology) and Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee (cardiovascular disease in the young), American Heart Association. Circulation. 1996;94:850-6. [PMID: 8772711] MedlineGoogle Scholar12. Taylor AJ, Rogan KM, Virmani R. Sudden cardiac death associated with isolated congenital coronary artery anomalies. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1992;20:640-7. [PMID: 1512344] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. Barth CW, Roberts WC. Left main coronary artery originating from the right sinus of Valsalva and coursing between the aorta and pulmonary trunk. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986;7:366-73. [PMID: 3944356] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. Wilson PW, D'Agostino RB, Levy D, Belanger AM, Silbershatz H, Kannel WB. Prediction of coronary heart disease using risk factor categories. Circulation. 1998;97:1837-47. [PMID: 9603539] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. Balady GJ, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Leip EP, O'Donnell CJ, Levy D. Usefulness of exercise testing in the prediction of coronary disease risk among asymptomatic persons as a function of the Framingham risk score. Circulation. 2004;110:1920-5. [PMID: 15451778] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Gary J. Balady, MDAffiliations: From Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Gary J. Balady, MD, Section of Cardiology, Boston Medical Center, 88 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118; e-mail, gary.[email protected]org. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSudden Death in Young Adults: A 25-Year Review of Autopsies in Military Recruits Robert E. Eckart , Stephanie L. Scoville , Charles L. Campbell , Eric A. Shry , Karl C. Stajduhar , Robert N. Potter , Lisa A. Pearse , and Renu Virmani Metrics Cited byIntroductionPredictors, Burden, and the Impact of Arrhythmia on Patients Admitted for Acute MyocarditisBreathing during cardiac arrest following exercise: A new function of the respiratory system? 7 December 2004Volume 141, Issue 11Page: 882-884KeywordsArmed forcesCardiomyopathiesCoronary arteriesElectrocardiographyExerciseGenetic diseasesPulmonary arteriesStable coronary artery diseaseSudden cardiac deathSyncope ePublished: 7 December 2004 Issue Published: 7 December 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...