TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Toxicology screening in sports-related sudden cardiac death: a multinational observational study
JO  - JACC. Clinical electrophysiology
A1  - Hansen, Carl J.
A1  - Svane, Jesper
A1  - Palsøe, Marie K.
A1  - Isbister, Julia C.
A1  - Paratz, Elizabeth
A1  - Molina, Pilar
A1  - Morentin, Benito
A1  - Winkel, Bo G.
A1  - La Gerche, Andre
A1  - Linnet, Kristian
A1  - Banner, Jytte
A1  - Lucena, Joaquín
A1  - Semsarian, Christopher
A1  - Tfelt-Hansen, Jacob
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Knowledge of toxicological findings among sports-related sudden cardiac death (SrSCD) is scarce. <br><br>OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe postmortem toxicology findings in a multinational cohort of young SrSCD. <br><br>METHODS: Patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD) aged 12 to 49 years with a complete post mortem were included from Denmark, Spain, and Australia. Postmortem findings were compared between SrSCD and non-SrSCD, and toxicology findings in SrSCD were assessed. <br><br>RESULTS: We included 3,189 SCD, of which 219 (7%) were sports-related. SrSCD patients were younger (36 years vs 41 years; P < 0.001) and of male predominance (96% vs 75%; P < 0.001), and their death was more often caused by structural cardiac disease (68% vs 61%; P = 0.038). Positive toxicology screenings were significantly less likely among SrSCD than non-SrSCD (12% vs 43%; P < 0.001), corresponding to 82% lower odds of a positive toxicology screening in SrSCD. Patient characteristics were similar between SrSCDs with positive and negative toxicology screenings, but deaths were more often unexplained (59% vs 34%). Nonopioid analgesics were the most common finding (3%), and SCD-associated drugs were detected in 6% of SrSCD. SUD was more prevalent among the SrSCD with positive toxicology (59% vs 34%). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Sports-related SCD mainly occurred in younger men with structural heart disease. They had a significantly lower prevalence of a positive toxicology screening compared with non-SrSCD, and detection of SCD-associated drugs was rare.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2405-500X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2023.11.006
ID  - ref1
ER  -