Developing a Pan-Canadian Registry of Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Challenges and Opportunities

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has a devastating impact on both the family of the patient with SCA and his or her community. Because of various methodological differences between studies, reported incidence rates for SCA can vary widely, emphasizing the lack of clarity with respect to the true scope of this phenomenon. In recognition of the importance of accurately ascertaining the incidence and causes of SCA, there have been repeated calls for the development of national, prospective, population-based registries that use uniform definitions and multiple source methods to confirm cases. In this article, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in establishing a pan-Canadian registry and how its development will provide data on the current knowledge and treatment gaps to ultimately help reduce the burden of SCA in Canada.