Objective We hypothesized that prospective, systematic Internet searches could identify occurrences of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes, and would be useful to establish a system of active surveillance. Methods Weekly advanced Google searches of the Internet were conducted for cases of SCD in young athletes over a 12-month period (2007–8). Athletes aged 11 to 30 years who collapsed during a game, practice, or within an hour of exercise were included. Individuals with known histories of cardiac issues and events occurring outside the United States were excluded. Verification of SCD was by autopsy reports and death certificates from county coroner offices and vital record agencies. Results A total of 71 events were initially identified. Verification of the cause of death by coroner reports was possible in 45 cases, of which 43 (96%) were confirmed to be SCDs. Sixty-nine individuals, 11 to 30 years of age (mean 17 ± 5), died suddenly from cardiovascular causes while participating in 15 different organized sports and a variety of non-organized physical activities. The most common cause of death was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (30%), followed by coronary artery anomalies (9%), and myocarditis (9%). The incidence of athlete SCD, types of sports involved, and cardiac causes of death in our study were comparable to previous reports. Conclusions Readily available Internet searches have the potential to be a powerful tool for identifying occurrences of athlete SCD. An active surveillance system using Google searches followed by coroner report verification can provide important epidemiologic and clinical information.

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