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Sudden Cardiac Death
Description
- 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.
Risk
Factors
- 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.
Diagnosis
- 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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