title: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implementation in acute heart failure syndromes: unanswered questions.
abstract: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators have proven efficacy in reducing mortality in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in both the primary and the secondary prevention settings. All randomized trials demonstrating this benefit have been conducted in outpatients with stable heart failure symptoms. Whether implantable cardioverter-defibrillators confer a benefit when implemented in patients with chronically reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in the acute heart failure setting is unknown. The purpose of this document is to review the existing literature related to this subject.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, B-535, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. wangnc@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Norman C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Piccini
authors.forename: Mihai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gheorghiade
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019091:Critical Pathways; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006339:Heart Rate; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate