Symptoms prior to sudden death.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Sudden death represents a significant cause of mortality in working-age adults.
• Understanding pre-death medical care and symptoms is crucial for developing preventive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the medical care and symptoms reported by sudden death victims in the month preceding their death.
• To identify potential intervention points for preventing sudden death.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of out-of-hospital sudden deaths (ages 18-64) in Wake County, NC (2013-2015).
• Screening of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reports and adjudication of sudden death victims.
• Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics, and medications between victims with and without recent medical encounters.

Main Results:

• Of 264 sudden death victims with medical records, 73 (27.7%) had a medical encounter within one month prior to death.
• These individuals were older, had more chronic illnesses, and were often not prescribed evidence-based medications.
• Cardiac symptoms like dyspnea, edema, and chest pain were reported by 41.1% of those with recent medical encounters.

Conclusions:

• A substantial proportion of sudden death victims seek medical care and report cardiac symptoms shortly before death.
• Underprescription of potentially life-saving medications highlights a gap in preventive care.
• These findings underscore the need for improved interventions to prevent sudden death in at-risk populations.