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Non-Traumatic Prehospital Sudden Death in Young Patients: An Urban EMS Experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Larry D. Weiss ,
Stanley Janasiewicz ,
Joshua A. Perper ,
Vincent P. Verdile ,
Donald M. Yealy  and
James J. Menegazzi
Larry D. Weiss*
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Stanley Janasiewicz
Affiliation:
Affiliated Residency in Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Joshua A. Perper
Affiliation:
Coroner, Allegheny County, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology,University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Vincent P. Verdile
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Donald M. Yealy
Affiliation:
Affiliated Residency in Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
James J. Menegazzi
Affiliation:
Research Assistant Professor of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
*
Department of Emergency and Hyperbaric Medicine, Jo Ellen Smith Medical Center, 4444 General Meyer Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70114 USA
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Abstract

Non-traumatic, sudden death in young patients has been described in several studies, but most of these studies have involved highly selected populations. This study examined consecutive cases of non-traumatic, prehospital, sudden death in young patients (age 2–35 years) in a six-year period in an urban EMS system. One-hundred-seven cases were identified; however, seven cases were excluded because of occult trauma or lack of documentation. Of the 100 cases studied, drug and/or toxin exposure was the most common etiology (32%), followed by cardiac (22%) and pulmonary (20%). This is the first study which describes all cases of non-traumatic, prehospital, sudden death in young patients presenting to an EMS system. Implications of these data for EMS personnel are discussed.

Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , September 1991 , pp. 315 - 320
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1991

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