Management of sudden cardiac death

Every medical graduate will encounter a case of sudden cardiac death (SCD) during their medical training and face the unpleasant task of disclosing the tragic news to the victim's family. Although most such deaths affect middle-aged and older individuals, young and apparently healthy people occasionally fall victim to SCD, making the experience even more poignant. Most SCDs and arrests in the young are secondary to previously quiescent, inherited cardiac diseases, galvanizing discussions relating to primary and secondary prevention strategies to avert such catastrophes. It is essential that all clinicians have a basic understanding of conditions predisposing to SCD in the young, as the impact of a missed opportunity to save a young life cannot be overestimated. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology of SCD and potential prevention strategies. Most importantly, it outlines the management of surviving first-degree relatives, as SCD in a young individual is the beginning of a long, arduous road for the grieving family.