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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 26, No 2, March/April 2015
AFRICA
95
lating shocks (generally 360 J for monophasic defibrillators),
intravenous amiodarone should be used as the preferred anti-
arrhythmic drug for achieving a stable rhythm (class I, level
of evidence B).
•
The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an effec-
tive therapy to reduce mortality. It reduces SCD in patients
with LV dysfunction due to prior a MI, who present with
haemodynamically unstable sustained VT, who are receiving
chronic optimal medical therapy, and who have reasonable
expectation of survival with a good functional status for more
than one year (class I, level of evidence A).
The patient reported herein met all the above indications.
However, he was able to have an ICD only because his
management was completed overseas. National health policies
in African countries with embryonic healthcare facilities should
encourage the establishment of advanced healthcare centres for
the vulnerable population who cannot afford healthcare overseas.
SCD is a reality in Cameroonians and Africans in general,
and the absence/shortage of qualified personnel and facilities to
manage it competently calls for urgent improvement in public
health policies to reduce the burden of the scourge.
Conclusion
This case report shows that coronary artery disease is a reality
in Africa, with a fatal outcome in the absence of optimal
healthcare facilities. Public health policies aiming to develop
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, improve physician awareness, as
well as provide for cardiovascular disease prevention and control
are reliable approaches to reduce SCA occurrence and improve
survivors’ QoL.
This case report did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public,
commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. We thank Dr Jules Ndjebet (Centre
des maladies cardiovasculaires de Douala, Douala, Cameroun) and Dr Akli
Otmani (Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Département de Cardiologie,
Paris, France) for managing the patient in Cameroon and France, respectively.
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