Greater awareness needed of cardiac conditions that can cause sudden death

A 27 year old woman died suddenly after her alarm clock frightened her. The cause of her death was determined to be undiagnosed Long QT Syndrome. Most sufferers have no symptoms of their condition. Long QT syndrome is hereditary and if one family member has it, the whole family should be screened. Long QT syndrome can cause the heart to beat abnormally fast resulting in a deprivation of blood to the brain followed by unconsciousness and sudden death. The condition can be treated with drugs or by implanting a defibrillator which shocks the heart into action during cardiac arrest. Many deaths attributed to epilepsy or unknown or natural causes may actually be caused by cardiac conditions.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by BBC News

Related Disease Topics:

• Long QT Syndrome
• Cardiac arrest
• Epilepsy
• Unconsciousness
• Heart disorder
• Heart abnormality

Article Source Details

About: Greater awareness needed of cardiac conditions that can cause sudden death

Date: 28 January 2005

Source: BBC News

URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4214069.stm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis and Long QT Syndrome
• Diagnosis and cardiac arrest
• Diagnosis and epilepsy
• Diagnosis and unconsciousness
• Diagnosis and heart disorder
• Diagnosis and heart abnormality
• Undiagnosed
• Undiagnosed and Long QT Syndrome
• Undiagnosed and cardiac arrest
• Undiagnosed and epilepsy
• Undiagnosed and unconsciousness
• Undiagnosed and heart disorder
• Undiagnosed and heart abnormality
• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and Long QT Syndrome
• Misdiagnosis and cardiac arrest
• Misdiagnosis and epilepsy
• Misdiagnosis and unconsciousness
• Misdiagnosis and heart disorder
• Misdiagnosis and heart abnormality
• Risk and Long QT Syndrome
• Risk and cardiac arrest
• Risk and epilepsy
• Risk and unconsciousness
• Risk and heart disorder
• Risk and heart abnormality
• Cause of Long QT Syndrome
• Cause of cardiac arrest
• Cause of epilepsy
• Cause of unconsciousness
• Cause of heart disorder
• Cause of heart abnormality
• Death from Long QT Syndrome
• Death from cardiac arrest
• Death from epilepsy
• Cause of death
• Death from unconsciousness
• Death from heart disorder
• Death from heart abnormality

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