Family-based cardiac screening in relatives of victims of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.

Aims: Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) occurs when a person suffers a sudden, unexpected death, with no cause found at postmortem examination. We aimed to describe the cardiac screening outcomes in a population of relatives of SADS victims

Methods And Results: Prospective and retrospective cohort study of consecutive families attending the Family Heart Screening clinic at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, from January 2007 to September 2011. Family members of SADS victims underwent a standard screening protocol.

The implantable defibrillator and return to operation of vehicles study.

Aims: We sought to characterise driving habits of contemporary implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients.

Methods And Results: We performed a multicentre prospective observational study of consecutive ICD recipients. Non-commercial drivers with a valid licence were eligible.

Multiple source surveillance incidence and aetiology of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death in a rural population in the West of Ireland.

Aims: There is a paucity of published data on prospectively identified rates of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death (SCD). We sought to determine the incidence, survival and aetiology of out-of-hospital SCD in the West of Ireland for the year 2005.

Methods And Results: Data from emergency room resuscitation records were collected throughout the year from all hospitals in the West of Ireland and recorded according to pre-specified criteria.