John Kassotis
Columbia University, USA
Title: Current concepts in the treatment of sudden cardiac death
Biography
Biography: John Kassotis
Abstract
Sudden Cardiac Death remains a significant public health concern. With approximately 400,000 cases in the US alone, the incidence is higher than death associated with breast cancer, traffic accidents and other more commonly published disease states. Despite significant advances, the incidence of sudden cardiac death remains high. With greater public awareness, ease of access to defibrillators (e.g. AEDs) we are hopeful that there will be a significant impact in reducing morbidity and mortality. However, the most significant impact will be derived from focusing our attention on identifying and managing patient’s known to have a predisposition for SCD, pre-event. With improvements in technology and refinements in implantation techniques, the placement of implantable cardioverter defibrillator, has emerged as the standard of care for primary and secondary prevention. The purpose of this review will be to acquaint the audience to better identification of patient’s at high risk for SCD, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions as well as, future initiatives.