Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is defined as an unexpected death resulting from loss of cardiac function, typically occurring within minutes of symptom onset. As SCD remains a leading global cause of mortality, especially among individuals with unrecognised structural or electrical heart disease, clinicians increasingly seek updated evidence on Sudden Cardiac Death when attending electrophysiology and prevention tracks at a cardiology conference. Because SCD frequently occurs as the first manifestation of disease, the session emphasises screening, prediction and prevention strategies for individuals at risk of malignant arrhythmic events.

The programme begins by reviewing epidemiology, including variation across age groups, athletic populations and individuals with known cardiomyopathies. Participants explore how SCD arises from ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, bradyarrhythmias or electromechanical dissociation. Special attention is given to conditions strongly linked to SCD—hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, myocarditis, long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome.

Risk-stratification strategies are explored in depth. Clinicians examine the role of family history, prior syncope, ventricular arrhythmias, imaging abnormalities, biomarker elevation and electrophysiological studies. The value of ambulatory monitoring, cardiac MRI and genetic testing is highlighted for identifying subtle substrate abnormalities and inherited risk patterns.

Prevention strategies include ICD implantation for primary and secondary prevention, pharmacologic therapy such as beta-blockers, lifestyle modifications and avoidance of arrhythmia-triggering medications. Athletes receive special consideration due to exercise-related triggers and unique physiological adaptations. Shared decision-making, psychological support and education on warning symptoms are emphasised as essential aspects of long-term care.

Acute management focuses on community response, CPR initiation and public-access defibrillation. Post-event care includes hemodynamic stabilisation, coronary evaluation, temperature control, neurological management and counselling for affected families. The session also highlights how structured bereavement support and genetic cascade screening can help identify at-risk relatives.

Future directions include computational modeling for risk prediction, machine-learning analysis of ECG patterns, wearable arrhythmia-detection technologies and targeted genetic therapies. By the end of this session, participants gain a holistic, evidence-based understanding of sudden cardiac death prevention, from identification of vulnerable individuals to long-term protection of families and communities.