title: Clinical approach to antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with ventricular arrhythmia.
abstract: Ventricular arrhythmias can be categorized into three broad groups, namely, benign, malignant, and potentially malignant based on the presence or absence and the severity of underlying heart disease. The benign group does not require treatment, the benefits of treatment in the potentially malignant group are unproven, and the malignant group benefits the most from antiarrhythmic therapy. Because there is no ideal antiarrhythmic drug and all drugs have limitations, selection of an antiarrhythmic drug should be based on the therapeutic goal and the relative efficacies and toxicity profiles of various agents. In the absence of demonstrated beneficial effect from suppression of ventricular arrhythmia in many cardiac patients, antiarrhythmic drug therapy should be confined to patients with serious symptoms, patients with recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia, and those resuscitated from cardiac arrest.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Arnett
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents