Avalanches in cardiology

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for 15%–60% of mortality in patients with heart disease. Generally, this has been attributed to ventricular tachyarrhythmia. However, ventricular tachyarrhythmia has been documented or strongly suspected on clinical grounds in a relatively small proportion of SCD patients (8%–50%). Attempted prophylaxis of SCD by implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator is associated with variable success in different subsets of high-risk cardiac patients (30%–70%). A significant number of SCD, therefore, appear to be due to catastrophic circulatory failure. Multiple interdependent compensatory mechanisms help to maintain circulation in advanced cardiac disease. Rapid, unexpected, and massive breakdown of the compensated state can be precipitated by small and often imperceptible triggers. The initial critical but stable state followed by rapid circulatory failure and death has been considered to be analogous to snow avalanches. It is typically described in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (ischemic or nonischemic). It is now recognized that SCD can also happen in conditions where the right ventricle (RV) takes the brunt