Definition: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the name given to any death that occurs suddenly and usually without warning, and that is due to a cardiac condition. In most cases, SCD is due to the heart arrhythmias known as ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF). The onset of very rapid VT or VF causes the heart to stop beating, a condition known as cardiac arrest. Unless a person suffering from cardiac arrest is rapidly resuscitated, SCD results.
More than 1,000 sudden cardiac deaths occur each day in the United States.
