Sudden Cardiac Death—1986

Excerpt

Sudden Cardiac Death (1) is a timely report from a scientific group of the World Health Organization (WHO). This year, 1986, is the 30th anniversary of Zoll and colleagues' report (2) of external defibrillation in humans. The utility of this means to reverse cardiac arrest was subsequently enhanced with technology permitting continuous electrocardiographic monitoring in coronary care units (3). Twenty years later, however, at least half the deaths of patients with cardiovascular disease still occur suddenly and unexpectedly (1). Why? Does our inability to reduce rates of sudden cardiac death stem from inadequate recognition of patients at risk? Does the