Late Amitabh Chaudhry was a dedicated IPS officer and had an excellent administrative ability.He was suffering from Dilated Cardiomyopathy.In this disease heart size becomes bigger than normal and it's contraction capacity decreases progressively.

Prognosis of this disease is not simple.Usually patient gets dyspnea, fatigue and swelling of legs.Many patients remain well with anti failure drugs.Cardiac Transplant is the final answer - diagnosis -for these patients. 

Cardiac Transplant is usually beneficial for relatively young patient.It is not simple like renal Transplant. Some device therapy is considered usefull in selected patients. 

One of them is CRT- D.Late Sri Amitabh Chaudhry had this implant lin Delhi.He was diagnosed through Dilated Cardiomyopathy long back.He was on a regular follow-up with me.

Death of patients like him occurs due to progressive pump failure or Ventricular Tachycardia  or Ventricular Fibrillation leading to sudden cardiac death. 

In fact,sudden cardiac death is typical of some cardiac diseases like HOCM ( Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy) , ARVD( Arrhytmogenic right ventricular dysplacia) ,BRUGADA SYNDROME( A Pure electrical disease of heart) AND CARDIYOPATHY .

Many athelets, young sportsman and even physically fit personalities may have these hidden disease and die suddenly during some activities.

Timely CPR ( Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)can save some of these patients.A campaign is going on at national level by renowned cardilogist of India.I am also regional coordinator of this campaign.

The main aim of this campaign is to make people aware about sudden cardiac death and CPR.AICD is one implant mechanism which can be used to prevent SCD in all these diseases.

More often than not,people commonly get confused and consider it as ‘heart attack’.Commonly and scientifically heart attack is synonymous with Myocardial infarction.Here we get cholesterol Parque in coronary arteries which get ruptured and causes complete blockage of coronary arteries leading to death of myocardium.Coronary angiography followed by coronary angioplasty is the answer of acute myocardial infarction. 
 
It is also important to know that ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation is also responsible of sudden death in myocardial infarction. 

Ventricular Tachycardia and Fibrillation usually respond quickly by giving electrical shock given by DC defibrillator externally or by internally Implanted AICD( Automatic Intracardfiac  Defibrillator).

How to prevent sudden cardiac death?

1.Regular cardiac checkup particularly for those patients who have preexisting cardiac disease and for people who has family history of sudden cardiac death.

Recently genetic screening is being used to detect those who are at risk.

*The writer Dr Deepak Gupta is a renowned Cardiologist in Ranchi and owns Heart Clinic in Bariatoo, Ranchi and is associated with Pulse Superspeciality Hospital in Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has been treating Late Amitabh Choudhary for long. The views expressed above is his.

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