Background: We aim to study the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of sudden death in young, to determine the etiology of death and to purpose recommendations for prevention.
Methods: we performed a retrospective cohort study using autopsy data from the Department of Forensic Medicine of Monastir. A review of all autopsies performed during 28 years was done. In each case, clinical information and circumstances of death were obtained and a complete forensic autopsy and histological and toxicological investigations were performed. We have included all sudden death in persons aged between 18 years and 35 years.
Results: we collected 137 cases of sudden death during studied period. The mean age of the studied population was 26.47 years. In 72.6% death was classified as cardiac death and was due to ischemic heart disease in 32.32%. Sudden death was attributed to a pleuropulmonary cause in 7.4%, an abdominal cause in 6% and from a neurological origin in 4.5%. The cause of sudden death in this group was not established in 9.5%.
Conclusion: there are several potential causes of sudden unexplained death such as structural abnormalities, ion channels abnormalities. Unexplained deaths, presumed to result from sudden primary arrhythmogenic causes, occur in young adult with structurally normal hearts. That underlying disease-causing genetic defects may be involved has clinical implications for family members. Our findings suggest that prevention of sudden death among young adults under the age of 35 years should also focus on evaluation for causes not associated with structural heart disease.
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On 05 Dec, 2020
On 03 Dec, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 31 Oct, 2020
On 06 Oct, 2020
On 05 Oct, 2020
On 05 Oct, 2020
Posted 01 Jul, 2020
On 12 Sep, 2020
Received 03 Sep, 2020
Received 02 Sep, 2020
On 11 Aug, 2020
On 11 Aug, 2020
Invitations sent on 16 Jul, 2020
On 14 Jul, 2020
On 30 Jun, 2020
On 29 Jun, 2020
On 05 Dec, 2020
On 03 Dec, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 31 Oct, 2020
On 06 Oct, 2020
On 05 Oct, 2020
On 05 Oct, 2020
Posted 01 Jul, 2020
On 12 Sep, 2020
Received 03 Sep, 2020
Received 02 Sep, 2020
On 11 Aug, 2020
On 11 Aug, 2020
Invitations sent on 16 Jul, 2020
On 14 Jul, 2020
On 30 Jun, 2020
On 29 Jun, 2020
Background: We aim to study the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of sudden death in young, to determine the etiology of death and to purpose recommendations for prevention.
Methods: we performed a retrospective cohort study using autopsy data from the Department of Forensic Medicine of Monastir. A review of all autopsies performed during 28 years was done. In each case, clinical information and circumstances of death were obtained and a complete forensic autopsy and histological and toxicological investigations were performed. We have included all sudden death in persons aged between 18 years and 35 years.
Results: we collected 137 cases of sudden death during studied period. The mean age of the studied population was 26.47 years. In 72.6% death was classified as cardiac death and was due to ischemic heart disease in 32.32%. Sudden death was attributed to a pleuropulmonary cause in 7.4%, an abdominal cause in 6% and from a neurological origin in 4.5%. The cause of sudden death in this group was not established in 9.5%.
Conclusion: there are several potential causes of sudden unexplained death such as structural abnormalities, ion channels abnormalities. Unexplained deaths, presumed to result from sudden primary arrhythmogenic causes, occur in young adult with structurally normal hearts. That underlying disease-causing genetic defects may be involved has clinical implications for family members. Our findings suggest that prevention of sudden death among young adults under the age of 35 years should also focus on evaluation for causes not associated with structural heart disease.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
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