In Chamarajanagar, 175 km from Bengaluru, an 8-year-old Class 3 student died of cardiac arrest at her school on January 6. She collapsed in her classroom while showing her notebook to a teacher and was immediately taken to the hospital. JSS Hospital. However, doctors confirmed that he was brought dead.

This is one of several incidents happening in the country, where youngsters as young as 10 years of age have died due to heart failure. In December, a boy from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh died during sports practice at his school. He was 4 years old.

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively. This can lead to rapid fainting and collapse. Blockages in the heart’s arteries can reduce blood flow to the heart muscle, leading to a heart attack and potentially cardiac arrest.

Dr Pratik Chaudhary, senior consultant, cardiology, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, said sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death in children is rare, with an estimated incidence of 1 to 3 cases per 1,00,000 children.

Sadly, despite intensive evaluation and diagnostic efforts, Dr. Chaudhary said, about half of sudden cardiac arrest cases remain unexplained.

Notably, these events often occur in children who previously appeared completely normal. With the knowledge of how to administer immediate CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and access to an AED (automated external defibrillator), prompt recognition of the situation by bystanders can be life-saving.

The causes of sudden cardiac arrest can be broadly classified into acquired and genetic or congenital factors.

acquired reason

Myocarditis: Infections affecting the heart muscle can trigger arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Cancer: Some disorders directly affect the heart.

Trauma or accidents: Severe injuries can cause cardiac arrest.

Drug abuse or overdose: These are also potential triggers.

genetic or congenital causes

Heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias): Heart rhythm disorders are the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in persons aged 1 to 35 years. These are often inherited. Dr Trupti Deb, cardiologist, Apollo Clinic, Chanda Nagar, Hyderabad, said that those with a family history of sudden death or cardiac arrest in parents or grandparents or first-degree relatives are also more likely to develop sudden heart attack. The risk of having a stroke is higher.

Dr. Trupti said, “These individuals should get their blood tests checked for lipoprotein A and lipid profile testing by the age of 10 and start regularly consulting their doctors for primary and secondary prevention protocols on a regular basis.” Should do.”

Cardiomyopathy: These include structural or functional abnormalities of the heart muscle:

hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Thickening of the heart muscle is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young individuals.

Dilated cardiomyopathy: Enlargement of heart chambers.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: Mainly affects the right ventricle.

Channelopathy: Disorders involving channels carrying electrolytes in the cell membrane, such as: Long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), which are triggered by emotional stress or exercise.

Other syndromes, including idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, short QT syndrome, and early repolarization syndrome.

Congenital complete heart block: In these cases, there is no communication between the upper (atria) and lower (ventricles) chambers of the heart. Without a pacemaker, these patients are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

Structural Abnormalities: Conditions such as abnormal connections between the heart chambers, narrowing of the valves, or narrowing of the aorta can also lead to sudden cardiac death if not diagnosed or treated.

Diagnosing these conditions requires a multidisciplinary approach involving cardiologists, genetic experts and advanced diagnostic tools, Dr. Chaudhary said.

The evaluation process includes: detailed history taking, event analysis, diagnostic tests such as ECG, echocardiogram, genetic testing and cardiac MRI.

While many causes are rare, early identification and intervention can help prevent sudden cardiac deaths in young individuals.