title: Incidence of sudden cardiac death after ventricular fibrillation complicating acute myocardial infarction: a 5-year cause-of-death analysis of the FAST-MI 2005 registry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Limited data are available on long-term prognosis or causes-of-death analysis among survivors of acute myocardial infarction (MI) according to whether or not they developed ventricular fibrillation (VF) during the acute stage of MI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 3670 MI patients hospitalized in France in 2005 and enrolled in this prospective follow-up cohort study, we assessed in-hospital mortality and 5-year cause of death among those who survived to hospital discharge, according to whether they developed VF (116 cases) or not, during the acute stage. 94.5% of patients had complete follow-up at 5 years. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among VF patients (adjusted OR 7.38, 95% CI 4.27-12.75, P < 0.001). Among 3463 survivors at hospital discharge, 1024 died during a mean follow-up of 52 ± 2 months. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 74.4% (95% CI 72.8-76.0). In Cox multivariate analysis, occurrence of VF during the acute phase of MI was not associated with an increased mortality at 5 years (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.38-1.58, P = 0.21). The distribution of causes of death at 5 years did not statistically differ according to the presence or absence of VF, especially for sudden cardiac death (13.1% in VF group vs.12.9% in non-VF group), despite a very low rate of implantation of cardioverter defibrillator in both groups (Overall rate 1.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients developing VF in the setting of acute MI are at higher risk of in-hospital mortality. However, VF is not associated with a higher long-term all-cause or sudden cardiac death mortality.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, European Georges Pompidou Hospital, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Wulfran
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bougouin
authors.forename: Eloi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marijon
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puymirat
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Defaye
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Celermajer
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Le Heuzey
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boveda
authors.forename: Salem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kacet
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mabo
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnay
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Da Costa
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Deharo
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Daubert
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrières
authors.forename: Tabassome
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Danchin
mesh_terms: D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*
keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Implantable cardioverter defibrillator; Prognosis; Sudden death; Ventricular fibrillation