The potential role of the implantable defibrillator in malignant ventricular arrhythmias.
A malignant arrhythmia is one which threatens life and is difficult to predict, prevent or treat. Any arrhythmia which falls into this category is an indication for the implantable defibrillator. The simplicity of this statement is of course deceiving. Transthoracic defibrillation, which for 20 years has been the therapeutic standard, has provided us with the greatest insight and understanding of cardiac arrhythmias. In the long run, the same information will be acquired with the implanted defibrillator. However, technical, medical and economic factors are more complex and will not be resolved in the near future.
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D006801:Humans; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011802:Quinidine / Q000009:adverse effects
D011802:Quinidine