ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Epidemiological, clinical and pathological study of sudden death in children and young adults under 36 years old. SUBJECTS, MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sudden deaths between 1 and 35 years that occurred in Bizkaia (North of Spain) from 1991 to 1998 were analyzed. In all cases a complete forensic autopsy including histopathological, toxicological and occasionally microbiological studies were performed. Also, pathological antecedents were investigated. RESULTS: 107 sudden death cases between 1 and 35 years occurred, being the mortality rate of 2.4/100,000/year. Males were threefold at risk of sudden death than females. Mortality rate was higher in youngs than children. 4.5% of natural deaths were sudden deaths.43% were sudden cardiac deaths, and atheromatous coronary disease was the most frequent over 30 years. Myocardial diseases and conduction system abnormalities were common between 15 and 29 years. 39% were extracardiac sudden deaths. Infections were frequent in children, and epilepsy and asthma between 15 and 29 years. Intracraneal hemorrhage was also frequent. In 19 cases (18%), specially in children, the cause of death was unexplained. Cause of death was different according to gender and age. CONCLUSIONS: Sudden death is infrequent in children and youngs, and causes are numerous. This study supports the importance of complete forensic autopsies in order to encourage epidemiological and preventive studies on sudden death.
