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Previous Volume 357:2717-2719 December 27, 2007 Number 26 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Sudden cardiac arrest due to acute ventricular tachyarrhythmia remains the most common cause of death in developed nations and accounts for more than 450,000 deaths annually in the United States.^1,2 Most patients who have a sudden cardiac arrest have coronary artery disease and impaired left ventricular function.^1,2 Appropriately designed prospective, randomized trials involving such patients after they have had a myocardial infarction have demonstrated a neutral or harmful effect on survival from the use of antiarrhythmic drugs.¹ In contrast, studies have consistently demonstrated a survival benefit from the implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD).^1,2,3,4 These conclusions have been reached by means of rigorous . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

From the Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Boston.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• (2007). SMASHing Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias: Can Ablation Prevent Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Events?. Journal Watch Cardiology 2007: 1-1 [Full Text]