Sudden cardiac death in low-resource settings: lessons from a resuscitated cardiac arrest

Cardiovasc J Afr. 2015 Mar-Apr;26(2):91-5. doi: 10.5830/CVJA-2015-020.

Abstract

We report on the case of an adult black African who was resuscitated from several cardiac arrests but suffered behavioural impairment, and discuss diagnostic pitfalls. The aetiology of coronary free lesion myocardial infarction with depressed left ventricular function was diagnosed when the patient travelled abroad. The low prevalence of recognised sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), as well as the lack of diagnostic and appropriate resuscitation facilities in parts of sub-Saharan Africa lead to the mismanagement of victims. Increased awareness of SCA and its causes is urgently needed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Angiography
  • Cameroon
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / prevention & control
  • Defibrillators, Implantable / statistics & numerical data
  • France
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / complications
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnosis*
  • Myocardial Infarction / therapy
  • Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / complications
  • Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / diagnosis*
  • Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / therapy
  • Resuscitation
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / complications
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / diagnosis*
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / therapy