The 2016 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC) Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) propose 10 key measures in the domains of preventative cardiology, resuscitation/emergency cardiovascular care, heart failure/general cardiology, and electrophysiology:

1. Smoking cessation intervention in patients who suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), have ventricular arrhythmias, or are at risk for SCD.
2. Screening for family history of SCD.
3. Screening for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction among individuals who have a strong family history of cardiomyopathy and SCD.
4. Referring for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) education those family members of patients who are hospitalized with known cardiovascular conditions that increase the risk of SCA (any acute myocardial infarction, known heart failure [HF], or cardiomyopathy).
5. Use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for prevention of SCD in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have an anticipated survival of >1 year.
6. Use of guideline-directed medical therapy: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) or angiotensin-receptor/neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), and beta-blocker, and aldosterone receptor antagonist) for prevention of SCD in patients with HFrEF.
7. Use of guideline-directed medical therapy (ACE-I or ARB or ARNI, and beta-blocker, and aldosterone receptor antagonist) for the prevention of SCD in patients with myocardial infarction and reduced EF.
8. Documenting the absence of reversible causes for cardiac arrest and/or sustained ventricular tachycardia before a secondary-prevention ICD is placed.
9. Counseling eligible patients about an ICD.
10. Counseling first-degree relatives of survivors of SCA associated with an inheritable condition.

Keywords: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Athletes, Cardiomyopathies, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Critical Care, Death, Sudden, Cardiac, Defibrillators, Defibrillators, Implantable, Echocardiography, Electrocardiography, Genetics, Guideline, Heart Arrest, Heart Failure, Hypothermia, Induced, Mass Screening, Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists, Myocardial Infarction, Neprilysin, Primary Prevention, Quality of Health Care, Risk Factors, Secondary Prevention, Smoking Cessation, Sports, Tachycardia, Ventricular, Ventricular Dysfunction, Left, Ventricular Fibrillation

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