Electrophysiologic testing in patients at high risk for sudden cardiac death. I. Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and abnormal ventricular function
Spielman SR,
AM Greenspan,
HR Kay,
KF Discigil,
CR Webb,
NM Sokoloff,
AP Rae,
J Morganroth,
and
LN Horowitz
Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, although usually asymptomatic, is associated with a high risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with depressed left ventricular function. To test the vulnerability of such patients to symptomatic and potentially life-threatening arrhythmias, complete electrophysiologic studies were performed in 58 patients with clinically documented nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (greater than or equal to three complexes but less than 15 seconds of self-terminating ventricular tachycardia by 24 hour ambulatory electrocardiographic [Holter] or telemetric monitoring) and abnormal left ventricular function (ejection fraction less than 50% by radionuclide angiography). All patients had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the absence of antiarrhythmic drugs, acute ischemia, long QT syndrome, recent infarction or electrolyte abnormalities. The stimulation protocol for each patient included the introduction of single, double and triple ventricular extrastimuli at three cycle lengths (sinus, 600 and 450 ms) and two right ventricular sites (apex and outflow tract). A sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia was induced in 23 patients (40%) and a nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in 14 patients (24%). Induction of sustained tachycardia correlated with the presence of akinesia or aneurysm, or both, by radionuclide angiography, but not with ejection fraction or presence or absence of coronary artery disease. These results indicate that: 1) patients with clinical nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and chronic left ventricular dysfunction have a high incidence of inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation; and 2) electrophysiologic testing may allow further substratification of risk of sudden cardiac death in high risk patients with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
Developed in Collaboration With the European Heart, D. P. Zipes, A. J. Camm, M. Borggrefe, A. E. Buxton, B. Chaitman, M. Fromer, G. Gregoratos, G. Klein, A. J. Moss, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death)
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
September 5, 2006;
48(5):
e247 - e346.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writing Committee Members, D. P. Zipes, A. J. Camm, M. Borggrefe, A. E. Buxton, B. Chaitman, M. Fromer, G. Gregoratos, G. Klein, A. J. Moss, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death) Developed in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society
Europace,
September 1, 2006;
8(9):
746 - 837.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. J. Moss, W. J. Hall, D. S. Cannom, J. P. Daubert, S. L. Higgins, H. Klein, J. H. Levine, S. Saksena, A. L. Waldo, D. Wilber, et al.
Improved Survival with an Implanted Defibrillator in Patients with Coronary Disease at High Risk for Ventricular Arrhythmia
N. Engl. J. Med.,
December 26, 1996;
335(26):
1933 - 1940.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
