Sudden Cardiac Arrest during Participation in Competitive Sports - systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Sudden cardiac arrest during sporting events always arouses strong emotions.No one expects that sudden cardiac arrest could occur in a young, athletic person.There are about 90 cases of sudden cardiac arrest in Poland every day. It may seem that mainly elderly, sick people are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Theoretically, this problem should not concern young, athletic people who take part in sports competitions. Numerous screening tests and check-ups should eliminate the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes, but the reality is different. The aim of the following paper is to review the literature on cardiac arrests in athletes during sporting events Material and methods: We have gathered the available materials and scientific reports, analyzing and summarizing them in a single study. Aim of study: Study objective: The aim of our study was to summarize the latest knowledge on sudden cardiac arrest in athletes during sports events. Conclusions: Screening tests reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. The most common cause is previously unrecognized heart defects - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Football players are most at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The most important factor influencing survival in sudden cardiac arrest is time

Keywords

• Sudden cardiac death
• athlete's heart
• Athletes
• arrhythmia
• weight training