title: A Patient Presents with Longstanding, Severe LV Dysfunction. Is There a Role for Additional Risk Stratification Before ICD?
abstract: Increased longevity of patients with systolic heart failure caused by the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) is one of the most successful achievements in contemporary medicine. During the last 2 decades, the scientific community has striven to increase the benefits of ICD usage by specifying indications for primary prevention ICD implantation. Left ventricular ejection fraction is neither highly specific nor is it a highly sensitive risk marker of sudden cardiac death. The authors discuss risk-stratification approaches in different patient populations with structural heart disease and systolic heart failure.
authors.affiliation: The Electrophysiology Chapter, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Carnegie 568, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Larisa G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tereshchenko
authors.affiliation: The Electrophysiology Chapter, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Carnegie 592, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Berger