title: Electrical storm:  definitions, clinical importance, and treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With increasing use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators, physicians are increasingly called upon to manage recurrent ventricular tachycardia, sometimes in the form of frequent recurrences known as electrical storm (or ventricular tachycardia storm).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Standard antiarrhythmic drug therapy may suppress storms, but, when refractory, interventions such as catheter ablation or in some cases surgical cardiac denervation may be helpful. Earlier interventional management may confer better outcomes than persisting with antiarrhythmic pharmacologic therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical syndrome of electrical storm has been defined empirically. An outcome-derived definition may better guide clinicians on when and how to treat this emergent problem. When available, an early interventional approach is preferred.
authors.affiliation: QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sapp
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019468:Disease Management; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012008:Recurrence; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents