Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Australia and New Zealand, and
is accompanied by considerable social cost [
[1]
]. After sudden cardiac death (SCD), additional economic and social “oncosts” may
exist due to flow-on effects to the bereaved. Risk stratification of SCD is still
being refined, and for many patients the first warning sign for them and their close
social circle may be when a cardiac arrest event occurs, potentially following a life
of seemingly good health. The sudden shock of bereavement following SCD [
[2]
] further increases already raised morbidity and mortality associated with loss of
a loved one [
[3]
]. In families surviving patients lost to SCD, bereavement experiences are typified
by various themes [
[2]
]. Psychosocial and medical information and support needs are likely significantly
unmet amongst parents who survive SCD of their child [
[4]
]. When SCD occurs in a young person, almost half of surviving family members may
report prolonged grief and post-traumatic stress symptoms alongside other significant
psychological difficulties [
[5]
]. The bereavement experiences of those that survive those lost to SCD is currently
not prioritised within systems of cardiovascular care.Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Heart, Lung and CirculationAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- The economic impact of sudden cardiac arrest.Resuscitation. 2021; 163: 49-56
- Lives forever changed: family bereavement experiences after sudden cardiac death.Appl Nurs Res. 2013; 26: 168-173
- Health outcomes of bereavement.Lancet. 2007; 370: 1960-1973
- Needs analysis of parents following sudden cardiac death in the young.Open Heart. 2020; 7
- Posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief after the sudden cardiac death of a young relative.JAMA Intern Med. 2016; 176: 402-405
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
October 8,
2022
Received:
September 25,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
