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Sudden unexpected death in children: myth or reality?
Stephanie Enner1, Ivan Pavkovic, Sanjeev V Kothare
1Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Lake Success, New York, USA.
Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|July 6, 2021
Summary
Sudden unexplained death is a complex diagnosis. Advances in diagnostic testing help identify at-risk individuals, though many questions about sudden death remain.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Genetics
Background:
- Sudden unexplained death remains a diagnosis of exclusion despite extensive research.
- Understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial for diagnosis and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current scientific understanding of sudden death.
- To highlight the remaining uncertainties and future research questions in sudden unexplained death.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific literature on sudden death.
- Analysis of diagnostic testing modalities including electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms, sleep studies, and genetic testing.
Main Results:
- Failure in cardiorespiratory regulation is a key factor in sudden death.
- Diagnostic tests improve the identification of high-risk individuals.
- Potential common pathways in sudden unexplained death across different diseases are being identified.
Conclusions:
- Sudden unexplained death in children may share common pathways with other diseases.
- Patient education on living with the risk of sudden death is important due to its devastating implications.
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