title: [Pharmacological therapy for ventricular arrhythmias: evidence for current treatment strategies and perspectives for the future].
abstract: This review summarizes the current status of pharmacological therapy for ventricular arrhythmias in symptomatic patients. The selection of specific drugs for this indication is highly dependent on the underlying heart disease. In primary prevention of sudden death, antiarrhythmic agents do not play a role--except betareceptor antagonists. Similarly, in patients treated for secondary prevention of cardiac arrest or hemodynamically symptomatic ventricular tachycardia, the implantable defibrillator constitutes the therapy of choice with hardly any role left for antiarrhythmic drugs. An emerging role for antiarrhythmic drug therapy is represented by the concomitant pharmacological treatment in ICD recipients who experience shocks from their devices (hybrid therapy). Several randomized clinical trials have recently evaluated this issue and permit an evidence-based treatment strategy. Currently, most patients receive sotalol or amiodarone for hybrid therapy with azimilide as a potential new class III antiarrhythmic drug for this treatment indication.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Klinische Elektrophysiologie, Medizinische Klinik III der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main.
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Wegener
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Grönefeld
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duray
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hohnloser
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects; D004562:Electrocardiography; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents