Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in apparently healthy adults younger than 40 years occurs at a rate of 4 to 14 per 100,000 person-years globally. In the US, only about 10% of the estimated 350,000 to 450,000 annual cases survive. Among these young adults, around 60% die before reaching medical care, while 9% to 16% survive to hospital discharge, with most survivors having good neurological outcomes.
Autopsies reveal that 55% to 69% of these cases have underlying cardiac causes, such as sudden arrhythmic death syndrome or structural heart disease, and genetic conditions like long QT syndrome or dilated cardiomyopathy. More than half of these young adults had identifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes.
Survivors of SCA should undergo comprehensive evaluations to identify reversible causes and may require a defibrillator if nonreversible cardiac conditions are present.
SOURCE: JAMA