title: Ventricular arrhythmias. Preventing sudden death with drugs and ICD devices.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death occurs most frequently in persons age 50 to 60, and serious ventricular arrhythmias are the cause of death in most cases. The underlying substrate is usually CAD, either a healed infarction or an acute ischemic event. Early studies using antiarrhythmic drugs to improve post-MI survival led instead to increased mortality, casting doubt on this approach. A cascade of studies using newer antiarrhythmic drugs showed some promise in selected patients post MI. Another approach--using implantable defibrillators--may show greater benefit than antiarrhythmic drugs in patients at serious risk, but the widespread implantation of these devices may be cost-prohibitive. Management of serious ventricular arrhythmias is guided by the individual patient's comorbidities, cardiac function, history of ischemia, and perceived risk of sudden death.
authors.affiliation: Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tecce
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003663:Decision Trees; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000191:economics; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents