title: Why the Authors Use Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with Defibrillators.
abstract: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves left ventricular function, especially in patients with left bundle branch block or those receiving chronic right ventricular pacing. CRT is typically accomplished by placing a right ventricular endocardial pacing lead and a left ventricular pacing lead via the coronary sinus to a coronary vein overlying the lateral or posterolateral left ventricle. CRT can be combined with an implantable defibrillator or with a pacemaker. Limited data are available to compare these two versions of CRT head to head. This review summarizes the relevant trials and meta-analyses regarding these two forms of CRT.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sze
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Electrophysiology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3174, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Electronic address: james.daubert@duke.edu.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Daubert
mesh_terms: D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Cardiac resynchronization therapy; Death; Defibrillators; Heart failure; Implantable; Sudden; Systolic