Sudden cardiac death at workplace

Abstract

Introduction. There has been a marked increase in the incidence of the sudden death (SD) and «rejuvenation» contingent suddenly dead in the last decade. There are improved and developed new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, which is the basic cause of the SD. However, even in the developed countries the problem of the sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains unresolved. The SCD at workplace, according to the WHO statistics, makes 7 %. Among those, who died as a result of the SD, is a significant proportion of young people under 35, and among the reasons noted – sudden physical or psycho-emotional stress. Purpose. To determine the prevalence of the SD at workplace in different occupational groups and to define peculiarities of its occurrence, depending on their working conditions and professional responsibilities. Results. This article presents data on the prevalence of the SD at workplace in Ukraine. In the study it is determined that in 2012 there have been registered 966 workplace SD cases in Ukraine, which is 5,3 per 100 000 of the working population and 14,1 per 100 000 of the population, working in harmful work conditions. The analysis of the SD cases, depending on gender, age and work experience shows that almost 95 % referred to males; their average age was 50–60 years, and work experience – more than 30 years. The majority of cases of the SD at workplace were recorded in Dnepropetrovsk and Kiev regions, reaching from 10,76 % to 15,8 % in the structure of the general mortality. Also, the analysis covered cases of the SD at workplace, depending on the branches of industry, socio-cultural sphere among them, took the principle place – 33 %, transport – 15 %, machine building and metallurgy – 14 %, coal mining and minerals industry – 9,3 %. The SD cases at workplace in miners of underground mines have been analyzed in details, where work conditions are characterized by exposures to physical and emotional strain, overheating and, so, can exert unfavorable effect on the blood-circulation system and result in fatal consequences. The measures for preventing the SD at work place have been proposed.