Prevention of juvenile sudden cardiac death: in Tuscany, a bill presented to the Regional Council's Health Commission by a group of academics from the Sant'Anna School
The phenomenon has an estimated incidence of between 1 and 10 cases per 100,000 people per year. A key role attributed to education and training, including the activation of cardiology screening programmes in high schools

At the Wednesday 8 January session of the Health Commission of the Region of Tuscany, chaired by Enrico Sostegni, a group of academics presented a bill on the prevention of juvenile sudden cardiac death. Signing the project and making their contribution during an in-depth hearing were Michele Emdin and Alberto Giannoni, respectively Full Professor and Associate Professor at the Sant'Anna School; Iacopo Olivotto, Full Professor at the University of Florence; Fabio Pacini, Assistant Professor at the University of Tuscia affiliated with the Sant'Anna School; Emanuele Rossi, Full Professor at the Sant'Anna School.
The proposal aims to reduce the phenomenon, which has an estimated incidence of between 1 and 10 cases per 100,000 people per year, through a series of integrated prevention measures, also in relation to the dictate of the document ‘Clinical pathway in sudden cardiac death. Clinical care indications and good practices', approved by the Tuscan Clinical Governance Body. Among the key elements of the bill is the establishment of a regional register on sudden cardiac death to collect all cases of juvenile sudden cardiac death and resuscitated cardiac arrest. A key role is attributed to education and training, which is why the activation of cardiopulmonary reanimation courses in high schools is envisaged, aimed at both school staff and students. In a parallel manner, the proposal envisages the activation of cardiological screening programmes in high schools.
Another objective of the bill concerns the adoption of measures for the dissemination and proper management of automatic external defibrillators with the mapping and compulsory installation in strategic places such as schools, sports centres, airports, railway stations and public administration offices. A regional technical commission would be set up to coordinate and monitor the measures introduced, comprising health experts and representatives of institutions and the third sector. At the end of an in-depth debate involving the members of the commission, President Enrico Sostegni called for the widest possible consensus on the project in order to transform it, if there is unanimity, into a bill for the Health Commission.
Cover photo from the Tuscany Regional Council website.