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Sudden
Cardiac Death
What is Sudden Cardiac Death?
Heart attack survivors may be at risk of sudden cardiac
death. A heart attack can damage heart tissue causing your
heart to misbehave electrically. Abnormal and dangerously
fast electrical signals, or arrhythmias limit your heart's
ability to pump blood to the body and brain.
What are risk factors for sudden dardiac death?
Most patients have no obvious
symptoms of SCD so it is important to be familiar with the
possible risk factors. Risk factors may include:
- Previous Heart Attack: A heart
attack is a mechanical problem with the plumbing of your
heart. A blockage in one of the arteries nourishing your
heart prevents blood and oxygen from reaching your heart
muscle, therefore part of your heart tissue dies.
- Impaired Pumping Function of the
Heart Muscle: The pumping function of your heart or
"ejection fraction" after a heart attack may be impaired.
This is due to scarring of the tissue of your heart due to
the heart attack.
- Rapid Heart Rhythms: You could
experience a very brief period of short bursts of fast
heartbeats called nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT).
These rapid heartbeats may or may not be noticeable to you.
Nonsustained VT is often the precursor to SCD.
Early identification is key. If you are at risk it is
important to talk to your doctor.
How is the potential for sudden cardiac death detected?
If you have had a heart attack, your doctor may perform
one or more of the tests below to make a diagnosis.
- Echocardiogram
- The Echocardiogram will determine your heart's pumping
function or "ejection fraction". During this test,
ultrasound waves are bounced off your heart muscle to
provide a moving image. Based on the results of this test
your doctor will determine if further testing is needed.
- Holter
Monitoring - A Holter monitor is an external monitor
that is worn on a 24-hour outpatient basis. The monitor
records your heart's electrical activity including any
episodes of arrhythmia. Your doctor will analyze the
recording to see if there are any abnormal rhythms, either
rapid or slow or irregular.
- Electrophysiology
(EP) Testing - EP testing is commonly conducted
in an electrophysiology lab. Wires will be threaded
from your groin up into your heart. Then, an electrical
stimulus will be delivered through the wires in an attempt
to excite your heart into a fast rhythm. If your heart
is stimulated into VT, medications will be administered
intravenously to try and suppress the arrhythmia. While
you are on the medications, the stimulus will be delivered
again to see if your heart can still be induced into
VT.
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