Cardiac arrest can strike a seemingly healthy individual of any age, race, ethnicity, or gender at any time in any location, often without warning. Cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the United States, following cancer and heart disease. Four out of five cardiac arrests occur in the home, and more than 90 percent of individuals with cardiac arrest die before reaching the hospital. First and foremost, cardiac arrest treatment is a community issue - local resources and personnel must provide appropriate, high-quality care to save the life of a community member. Time between onset of arrest and provision of care is fundamental, and shortening this time is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of death and disability from cardiac arrest. Specific actions can be implemented now to decrease this time, and recent advances in science could lead to new discoveries in the causes of, and treatments for, cardiac arrest. However, specific barriers must first be addressed. Strategies to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival examines the complete system of response to cardiac arrest in the United States and identifies opportunities within existing and new treatments, strategies, and research that promise to improve the survival and recovery of patients. The recommendations of Strategies to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival provide high-priority actions to advance the field as a whole. This report will help citizens, government agencies, and private industry to improve health outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest across the United States.

The unexpected death of an athlete during exercise is a tragic irony - albeit with a history dating back to Pheldippides, who collapsed after his original Marathon run. We are more apt to consider vigorous exercise as a protective measure against cardiovascular events and not as a triggering mechanism for them. The relative rarity of such episodes makes the screening of those at risk even more of a challenge. This challenge is well met in this unique text, the first to deal specifically, authoritatively, and comprehensively with the issues of prediction and prevention of sudden cardiac death in the athlete. Many of the underlying cardiovascular diseases that put athletes at risk are identified and explained, including: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy arrhythmogenic right venticular dysplasia Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome anomalous origin of the coronary arteries inherited long QT syndromes The screening guidelines are of particular value, as are the recommendations regarding the participation of athletes with cardiovascular disease. Beyond its clinical scope, the editors have incorporated current information in epidemiology, cardiovascular pathophysiology, and the many vexing legal and ethical issues. With its in-depth, multi-faceted approach and prominent contributors, Sudden Cardiac Death in the Athlete is sure to be a much welcomed reference for sports medicine and team physicians, athletic directors and trainers, family practitioners, pediatricians, and cardiologists.

This textbook provides a comprehensive, yet practically orientated overview of classic and novel sports cardiology topics, based on current evidence, guidelines, recommendations and expert experience. Numerous publications have provided guidance to these issues, but it has become increasingly difficult for both students and doctors to obtain a thorough, but practicable overview for optimal clinical care of athletes and patients. This book is intended as an educational work, filling the large gaps that are still present in the current educational guidelines for medical students and cardiology trainees. Textbook of Sports and Exercise Cardiology differs from other sports cardiology books by focusing on clear, practical recommendations based on the latest evidence, primarily targeting those who seek professional background information and education that can easily be transferred into everyday care.

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Sudden death in athletes is a global problem. Although it is a relatively rare phenomenon (1/100,000 persons), when it does occur, it is often as an incomprehensible event. In fact, it strikes subjects who presumably should be much healthier than the general population. In the previous 20 years, many authors have studied this problem in an attempt to understand the causes and prevent these events, and it has been determined that, in the vast majority of cases, athletes who die suddenly have an underlying heart disease (arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, coronary anomalies, channelopathies, etc.). In most cases these diseases do not produce major symptoms and do not preclude sports activity even at the highest levels, although they do increase the incidence of sudden death. How to discover these diseases in asymptomatic athletes is a hotly debated issue. In particular, there is controversy as to whether all athletes should undergo detailed medical screening, including electrocardiogram, or whether the costs of this screening are too high in relation to the event incidence. The purpose of this book is to accurately analyze the causes of sudden death in athletes and to provide cardiologists and sports physicians with useful tips on how to identify at-risk individuals.

This engaging book covers a multitude of topics related to heart rhythm disorders (HRDs) and uniquely familiarizes readers with the development of treatment modalities over the past several decades, including the evolution of anti-arrhythmic drugs, pacemakers, defibrillators, and catheter ablation. Organized in ten sections, this title serves as both an archival and a contemporary resource for clinicians. The first section describes the discovery of the circulatory system by William Harvey in 1628 and outlines the development and understanding of HRD since the advent of intra-cardiac electrophysiology. Subsequent sections discuss the historical evolution of abnormal heart rhythms, such as supra and ventricular rhythms and sudden cardiac death, their treatment with drugs, surgery, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and catheter ablation. Section nine offers a fascinating narration of the clinical evolution of overcoming heart attacks and its impact on HRDs. The final section explores potential new frontiers in HRD and the factors that may contribute to the prospective rise of cardiovascular diseases. A ground-breaking and invaluable addition to the clinical literature, Heart Rhythm Disorders: History, Mechanisms and Management Perspectives details the pervasive nature of cardiovascular diseases in human history, their ramifications, and their projected effects on at-risk demographic populations and human health in general.

The first invasive evaluation of cardiac arrhythmias in humans was performed in 1967 in Paris (Prof. P. Coumel) and Amsterdam (Prof. D. Durrer). This was the start of a rapid increase in our knowledge of the diagnosis, mechanism and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. In that same year Prof. Hein J.J. Wellens became cardiologist in the Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam. Initially in Amsterdam (1967-1977) and later on in Maastricht (from 1977), he was the driving force for many breakthroughs in clinical cardiac electrophysiology. With an active interplay between the knowledge derived from the 12-lead electrocardiogram and the recordings made with invasive electrophysiology, he composed new ideas leading to major contributions in clinical cardiac electrophysiology and, more generally, in arrhythmology. He published over 650 scientific papers and 14 books, and had numerous functions within scientific boards of prestigious journals. In addition he trained more than 120 cardiologists in clinical cardiac electrophysiology. On the occasion of the congress `2000, Future of Arrhythmology: Lessons From the Past, Promises For Tomorrow', we highlight the scientific work of Prof. Hein J.J. Wellens. A selection of more than 60 articles over the whole time span has been selected. These articles are accompanied by comments from an expert, co-worker and/or former fellow in order to place the paper in a scientific time frame, including the relationship of the author with Prof. Hein J.J. Wellens.