sudden death

n.
Extra play added to determine the winner of a tied game, often with the victory awarded to the first to score.

sudden-death sud'den-death' (sŭd'n-dĕth') adj.

Sudden death during or immediately after exercise is, thankfully, very rare. It has been estimated that one death occurs for every 15 000 to 18 000 exercisers each year. The risk of sudden death during exercise is 4 to 56 times greater than during rest (depending on the activity and age), but regular exercisers are less likely than inactive people to die at rest or during activity. Therefore, regular, vigorous exercise reduces the overall risk of sudden death. Among those under 35 years of age, the usual cause of death is a heart abnormality; of those over 35 who die, about 75 per cent have heart disease. Anyone who suffers from fainting or near-fainting, or has chest pains during activity should consult a doctor before continuing an exercise programme. Myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart) has been implicated in sudden death. However, several sports medicine practitioners question its involvement. Nevertheless, all agree that it is unwise to exercise during any illness which induces fever. See also sudden immersion injury.

An unexpected death, not caused by physical trauma, that occurs instantaneously or within minutes of an event that changes the clinical status of an individual. Exertional sudden death occurs during a medically unsupervised activity or within 1 h after completion of the activity. Cardiac abnormalities (especially hypertrophic cardiomyopathy an abnormal enlargement of the ventricular septum of the heart) are the most common causes of exertional sudden death in people under 35 years of age; coronary artery disease is the most common cause for those over 35 years of age. The overall incidence of death during athletic activity has been estimated as a rate of 0.003 to 0.006 per year. Although sudden death is more likely during exercise than at rest, those who do not exercise regularly have the greatest risk of death during exercise and at rest.

A category of illness in which animals which are under frequent observation die either with no obvious illness or after a period of illness lasting only a few hours. Typical causes are spontaneous internal hemorrhage, trauma causing shock or blood loss, rupture of the gut, cardiac tamponade, trauma to brain or spinal cord at the occipitoatlantal joint, intravenous injection of inappropriate solution or given too rapidly causing cardiac arrest or pulmonary edema, anaphylactic shock.
In large animals, group deaths can be due to electrocution, lightning injury, many poisons especially cyanide, algal fast death factor, so-called Wimmera ryegrass poisoning, fluoroacetate and oleander. Monensin causes acute heart failure in horses. Septicemia due to anthrax, toxemia due to Clostridium perfringens type D and colibacillosis can cause peracute deaths but signs are evident in animals kept under surveillance.
In feedlot cattle, sudden death may occur following the acclimatization phase of feeding and presents as death without premonitory signs of illness or agonal struggling. The cause is unknown. Postmortem examination shows no evidence of the common diseases that cause rapid death in feedlot cattle.
In chickens, a syndrome of sudden death is recognized in broiler chickens, predominantly males. The cause is unknown, but possibly metabolic as it can be induced by lactic acidosis. Called also flipover as most birds are found lying on their back.
Animals that are ‘found dead’ are in a different category to sudden death and have a much wider range of possible causes.

• s. d. factors — see anatoxin.

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: (sports) overtime in which play is stopped as soon as one contestant scores; e.g. football and golf

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