title: Prognosis of ventricular fibrillation in hospital.
abstract: In a retrospective study of 520 patients with in-hospital ventricular fibrillation 421 (81%) had acute myocardial infarction (MI), 66 (13%) had ischaemic heart disease (IHD) without MI, 33 (6%) had no signs of IHD. The in-hospital mortality of these three groups was 51%, 52%, and 27%, respectively (P = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that heart failure and cardiogenic shock were significant risk factors for in-hospital death among patients with IHD. Among discharged patients 1 and 5 years survival was 78% and 51% for patients with MI, 63% and 25% for patients with IHD, 67% and 54% for patients without IHD. A proportional hazard model demonstrated old age, heart failure and cardiogenic shock as risk factors for long-term prognosis, while MI was associated with a reduced relative risk ratio = 0.58 of long-term mortality among patients with IHD. In conclusion, patients with known IHD suffering in-hospital VF without AMI have a very poor short- and long-term prognosis. These patients need extensive cardiac examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Glostrup County Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torp-Pedersen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Køber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000453:epidemiology; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*