title: Sudden cardiac death: implantable cardioverter defibrillators and pharmacological treatments.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in advanced heart failure and cardiomyopathy patients, regardless of the underlying causes of cardiomyopathy. Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation are the causes of SCD. This article examines pharmacological interventions and mostly, the role of implantable cardioverter defibrllators in preventing SCD in heart failure patients. The indications for various methods of treatment of SCD are discussed in this article.
authors.affiliation: The Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA. Zhangi@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents