Sudden cardiac death in the young in Sweden: electrocardiogram in relation to forensic diagnosis
(2004) In Journal of Internal Medicine 255(2). p.213-220- Abstract
- Objectives. To study electrocardiogram (ECG) in relation to forensic diagnosis in young persons who suffered a sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Sweden during 1992-99. Design. A register study of a national database of forensic medicine in Sweden, selecting all cases of SCD 15-35 years of age. In this group, 12-lead ECGs and clinical data were searched for in military conscription and medical records. The ECGs were re-analysed and classified according to the Minnesota code criteria. Setting. The whole nation of Sweden. Subjects. Sudden cardiac death victims (66 individuals), 15-35 years of age, where it was possible to obtain an ECG recording. Results. We observed major or minor ECG abnormalities in 82% of the subjects. The most common changes... (More)
- Objectives. To study electrocardiogram (ECG) in relation to forensic diagnosis in young persons who suffered a sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Sweden during 1992-99. Design. A register study of a national database of forensic medicine in Sweden, selecting all cases of SCD 15-35 years of age. In this group, 12-lead ECGs and clinical data were searched for in military conscription and medical records. The ECGs were re-analysed and classified according to the Minnesota code criteria. Setting. The whole nation of Sweden. Subjects. Sudden cardiac death victims (66 individuals), 15-35 years of age, where it was possible to obtain an ECG recording. Results. We observed major or minor ECG abnormalities in 82% of the subjects. The most common changes were T wave abnormalities (35%), ST segment changes (32%) and conduction defects (20%). The ECGs were evaluated as pathological in 50% of the cases, more often in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (88%) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (82%). Cardiac-related symptoms were seen in 76% of the total group and there was a family history of a similar cardiac condition in 18%. Conclusions. Pathological ECGs were common in young SCD victims, in spite of being taken many years before death. An ECG could help identify prospective victims of SCD, and should always be taken in cases with possible cardiac-related symptoms or a family history of SCD. The pathological ECGs were often found in connection with routine screening at military enlistment for men, which raises the question of a routine screening in the young, including women. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/289010
- author
- Wisten, A ; Andersson, S ; Forsberg, H ; Krantz, Peter LU and Messner, T
- organization
- publishing date
- 2004
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- death, sudden cardiac, Minnesota code, electrocardiogram, forensic diagnosis, young, Sweden
- in
- Journal of Internal Medicine
- volume
- 255
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 213 - 220
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:14746558
- wos:000188411100006
- scopus:1242295279
- ISSN
- 1365-2796
- DOI
- 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2003.01277.x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Health Economics and Forensic Medicine (Closed 2012) (013040050)
- id
- 3a204ffa-7a01-40b4-956c-64a76006fb7a (old id 289010)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:05:25
- date last changed
- 2022-04-22 19:31:46
@article{3a204ffa-7a01-40b4-956c-64a76006fb7a,
abstract = {{Objectives. To study electrocardiogram (ECG) in relation to forensic diagnosis in young persons who suffered a sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Sweden during 1992-99. Design. A register study of a national database of forensic medicine in Sweden, selecting all cases of SCD 15-35 years of age. In this group, 12-lead ECGs and clinical data were searched for in military conscription and medical records. The ECGs were re-analysed and classified according to the Minnesota code criteria. Setting. The whole nation of Sweden. Subjects. Sudden cardiac death victims (66 individuals), 15-35 years of age, where it was possible to obtain an ECG recording. Results. We observed major or minor ECG abnormalities in 82% of the subjects. The most common changes were T wave abnormalities (35%), ST segment changes (32%) and conduction defects (20%). The ECGs were evaluated as pathological in 50% of the cases, more often in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (88%) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (82%). Cardiac-related symptoms were seen in 76% of the total group and there was a family history of a similar cardiac condition in 18%. Conclusions. Pathological ECGs were common in young SCD victims, in spite of being taken many years before death. An ECG could help identify prospective victims of SCD, and should always be taken in cases with possible cardiac-related symptoms or a family history of SCD. The pathological ECGs were often found in connection with routine screening at military enlistment for men, which raises the question of a routine screening in the young, including women.}},
author = {{Wisten, A and Andersson, S and Forsberg, H and Krantz, Peter and Messner, T}},
issn = {{1365-2796}},
keywords = {{death; sudden cardiac; Minnesota code; electrocardiogram; forensic diagnosis; young; Sweden}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{213--220}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Journal of Internal Medicine}},
title = {{Sudden cardiac death in the young in Sweden: electrocardiogram in relation to forensic diagnosis}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2796.2003.01277.x}},
doi = {{10.1046/j.1365-2796.2003.01277.x}},
volume = {{255}},
year = {{2004}},
}