title: Classification of death in patients under antiarrhythmic treatment.
abstract: In the evaluation of antiarrhythmic treatment, total mortality and total cardiac mortality are the only endpoints difficult to misclassify. End-stage cardiac failure competes with "suddenness" in many instances of sudden arrhythmic death. This observational study reports on 23 deaths in a group of 129 patients under antiarrhythmic treatment. In the 21 cases of cardiac death, with respect to the notion "sudden arrhythmic death," classification was problematic in 6 patients. According to different interpretations, the number of deaths listed as "sudden" could vary between one and six. A concise description of cause and circumstances of death, is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ector
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubens
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Geest
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000401:mortality; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents