Five years-results of a nationwide database on sudden cardiac events in sports practice in Luxembourg
19/01/2022
Besenius E., Cabri J., Delagardelle C., Stammet P., Urhausen A. (2022). Five years-results of a nationwide database on sudden cardiac events in sports practice in Luxembourg. Dtsch Z Sportmed. 2022; 73: 24-29. doi:10.5960/dzsm.2021.505
The aim of this project was to create a national database to determine sports-related sudden cardiac event (SCE) burden in Luxembourg.
Systematic data collection was carried out from 2015 until 2019 (5 years). Cases of SCE met the following criteria: (1) any major cardiac adverse event, (2) occurring during or until one hour after a sports activity (3) on national territory or outside Luxembourg by a Luxembourgish resident or sports license hol- der. The victim or family were contacted to inquire on the SCE by means of a standardized questionnaire.
In total, 43 SCE cases were registered. The incidence was 2.6 cases/year/100000 physically active inhabitants. The 43 events occurred in 41 persons (40 males, 1 female), at an average age of 49.7 years. Seventeen events were fatal. The most concerned sports were cycling (17 cases), followed by football (5), and run- ning (4). Twenty-four victims suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, of which 16 received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Eight (33%) of those survived. The survival rate was highest in patients receiving immediate CPR after SCE.
The incidence of SCE related to sports in Luxembourg is rela- tively high and mainly affects middle-aged men during cycling. Bystander CPR significantly improves the chances of survival.