Sudden death

DDx

Cardiac causes

  • Ventricular fibrillation
  • Acute myocardial infarction
  • Complete heart block
  • Sinus node arrest
  • Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • Long QT syndrome
  • Atrial myxoma
  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Pre-excitation syndrome (eg, Wolff-Parkinson-White)
  • Chagas’ disease
  • Coronary anomalies
  • Brugada syndrome
  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
Noncardiac causes & associated conditions
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Asthma
  • Aortic dissection
  • Ruptured aortic aneurysm
  • Intracranial hemorrhage
  • Tension pneumothorax
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Electrolyte abnormalities
  • Cocaine or other drug use
  • Primary pulmonary hypertension
  • Aortic stenosis
  • Pulmonic stenosis

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Last updated: December 1, 2014