Educational draft · awaiting clinical reviewUse Rapid for revision, not patient-care decisions. Check current national and local guidance and the BNF or BNFC before acting.
Inherited cardiac conditions and sudden cardiac death
Essential points for quick revision.
2 min synopsisUK scopeSources checked 27 Aug 2026Clinical review pending
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Escalate
Unresponsive abnormal breathing means presumed cardiac arrest: call 999, start CPR immediately and attach an AED. Exertional syncope or sustained ventricular arrhythmia in a possible inherited condition needs urgent cardiac assessment and temporary restriction from high-intensity exercise.
Synopsis
Identify inherited cardiomyopathy and channelopathy red flags, investigate sudden unexplained death and organise expert family screening.
Think inherited disease with young sudden death, exertional syncope, unexplained seizure-like episodes, cardiomyopathy, characteristic ECG changes or multiple affected relatives.
Construct a three-generation pedigree and verify diagnoses/death circumstances where possible.
A normal resting ECG and echo do not exclude a channelopathy or early cardiomyopathy.
Key red flags
Symptom red flags
Exertional or emotion-triggered syncope, palpitations with syncope, nocturnal agonal breathing or seizure-like episodes without neurological explanation.
Investigation priorities
01
Three-generation pedigree and record verificationFirst step
Define inheritance pattern and identify relatives needing assessment.
Management branches
FirstSymptomatic possible inherited condition
Exertional syncope, ventricular arrhythmia, abnormal ECG or unexplained cardiomyopathy.
Assess urgent risk, obtain ECG and restrict high-intensity exercise until dangerous causes are evaluated.
Take a detailed personal history and three-generation pedigree, including sudden-death circumstances and medicines.
National guidance is shown before implementation-dependent detail. Typical adult dose examples remain subject to patient factors, contraindications and the live BNF or specialist protocol. Source check completed 27 Aug 2026; clinical approval remains outstanding.