title: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators in heart failure.
abstract: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators provide effective and reliable treatment of spontaneous VT and VF. These devices can be expected to decrease the risk for arrhythmic death in patients with heart failure but do not improve overall survival when death from severe pump dysfunction is imminent. Appropriate patient selection is a major aspect of arrhythmia management. Future devices will incorporate features that have the potential to reduce atrial arrhythmias, improve ventricular function, monitor hemodynamics, and prevent sudden arrhythmic death.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. mosweeney@partners.org
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents