Sudden death is generally considered any "natural," unexpected
death that occurs within one hour after symptoms begin. Sudden death is
one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for
300,000 to 500,000 deaths each year. While the threat of sudden death is
certainly a frightening prospect, open discussion of the risk factors for
sudden death is a crucial step in preventing this all too common problem.
It is extremely important for doctors and patients to understand and identify
those at risk for sudden death because many actions can be taken to minimize
this risk.
The vast majority of sudden death is caused by heart disease,
although other illnesses such as massive bleeding, strokes, and pulmonary
emboli (a blood clot traveling to the lung) may also cause this problem.
Sudden cardiac death frequently occurs in people with known or suspected
heart disease, but it may rarely occur in people with no known cardiac
abnormalities.
Many sudden deaths occur quite rapidly, oftentimes within
seconds or minutes. The choice of one hour between onset of symptoms and
death is rather arbitrary. However, this has been adopted as the standard
definition. Furthermore, the term "natural" is sometimes included to emphasize
that deaths caused by accidents, murder, suicide, or other external circumstances
may occur suddenly, but are not considered “sudden deaths” because the
cause of death is known and does not directly reflect the individual's
pre-existing health condition.
How
Does Sudden Death Occur?
