[Follow-up of a group of patients with automatic implantable defibrillator].
The automatic implantable defibrillator (AID) is the treatment of choice for primary and secondary prevention of sudden death. At the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, since October 1996 until January 2002, 25 patients were implanted with 26 AID. There were 23 men (92%) and the mean age of the whole group, was 51.4 years. Twenty-three patients (92%) presented structural heart disease, the most common was ischemic heart disease in 13 patients (52%), with a mean ejection fraction of 37.8%. One patient without structural heart disease had Brugada Syndrome. The most frequent clinical arrhythmia was ventricular tachycardia in 14 patients (56%). The mean follow-up was of 29.3 months during which a total of 30 events of ventricular arrhythmia were treated through AID; six of them were inappropriate due to paroxismal atrial fibrillation; 10 AID patients (34%) have not applied for therapy. Three patients (12%) of the group died due to congestive heart failure refractory to pharmacologic treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The implant of the AID is a safe and effective measure for primary and secondary prevention of sudden death. World-wide experience evidences, that this kind of device has not modified the mortality rate due to heart failure in these patients, but it has diminished sudden arrhythmic death.
Mendoza González
Celso
C
Departamento de Arritmias del Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, INCICH, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan, 14080 México, D.F.
Iturralde Torres
Pedro
P
Guevara Valdivia
Milton E
ME
Medeiros Domingo
Argelia
A
Rodríguez Chávez
Laura
L
Rodríguez Briones
Ignacio
I
Colin Lizalde
Luis
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged