La mort subite du sportif est-elle si fréquente ?

Abstract

Summary Generality: Cardiac disease is frequently responsible for sudden death in sport Age is the most useful variable to predict the cause of sudden death in athletes Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital anomalies of coronary arteries, myocarditis and arrythmogenic right ventncular dysplasia are often implicated in the under 35 year olds. After this age. sudden deaths in sport are often due to ischemic heart disease Design: A retrospective study took the census of exercise-related sudden death cases during 1994 in France. All French emergency units were contacted Results: We obtained a response rate of 58%. Only 36 deaths were reported. The rate of sudden cardiac death during sporting activity was 78%: 81% of victims were over 35 years old. Ventricular fibrillation represented the final pathway for death in 46% of cases and 13% of deaths were observed during recovery. Fifty seven percent of victims had either underlying cardiac diseases, a history of sudden death in relatives, or chest pain. This inquiry allowed us to expect 300 sudden deaths in sport each year in France Conclusion: Most of these deaths were foreseeable. Continued education of athletes and adapted training appear to be the best way to help reduce the frequency of sudden death in sport. This retrospective study has not confirmed postulated predictions of sudden death in sport incidence. Unfortunately, statistical points prevent this study from doubting the usual advanced averages concerning sudden death in sport.