Sudden cardiac death. Future approaches

The purpose of the present review is to suggest future approaches to the problem of sudden cardiac death. Short-term efforts should be directed toward delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation and electrical therapy as soon as possible after the onset of an arrest. Long-term efforts encompass four interrelated, stepwise objectives that include identification of individuals at risk, mechanisms responsible for the arrhythmias, and interventions to prevent the arrhythmias. This is then followed by large-scale testing of the interventions in high-risk populations. Present funding for such research is inadequate, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute should be encouraged to consider supporting a major research initiative to combat the problem of sudden cardiac death.