What Happened to Christian Eriksen in the Euros?

What are the causes of cardiac arrest?

Cardiac arrest is usually triggered by fast, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, that cause cardiac arrest. Several underlying conditions can increase risk.

Coronary artery disease (most common in adults over 35)

The most common case of cardiac arrest in people over age 35 is coronary disease, a narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart, including sudden blockages that cause a heart attack.

This can then cause these unstable cardiac rhythms and lead to cardiac arrest.

Inherited or structural heart conditions (more common in those under 35)

In people under age 35, cardiac arrest is more often linked to previously undetected heart conditions including:

• cardiomyopathies (diseases of the heart muscle)  

• electrical abnormalities (inherited rhythm disorders)  

• heart valve disease

• congenital coronary artery anomalies (an abnormal position of coronary arteries, one of the blood vessels which supply blood to the heart)

Cardiac arrest in athletes and screening

Cardiac arrests can appear more common in athletes because exercise can increase the likelihood of dangerous cardiac rhythms in people with underlying abnormalities of the heart.

Athlete cardiac screening

Some sports programmes screen athletes before competitive sport events. In the UK, the Football Association runs a long-standing screening programme that includes:

• symptom review  

• personal medical history  

• family history  

• ECG (electrocardiogram)  

• echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)

Screening cannot detect every underlying condition, but it can identify some risks early and allow steps to reduce an individual's chance of cardiac arrest.

What can be done if there is a high risk of cardiac arrest?

For people judged to be at a higher risk of life-threatening arrhythmias, one option is an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This small device (similar to a pacemaker) is fitted under the skin and:

• Continuously monitors heart rhythm

• detects lethal rhythms

• delivers a shock to restore a safer rhythm when needed

This provides further reassurance and a safety net enabling them to survive a cardiac arrest when there is no immediate help at hand.

Patients are also typically offered:

• lifestyle guidance (including exercise advice tailored to the condition)

• medication to reduce arrhythmia risk

References:

1. Outcomes of Cardiac Screening in Adolescent Soccer Players