PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Arthur J. Rabinowitz
AU  - James D. Maloney
TI  - Survivors of sudden cardiac death: a rational approach to evaluation and therapy of patients surviving ventricular fibrillation
DP  - 1992 Mar 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 166--172
VI  - 59
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/59/2/166.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/59/2/166.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med1992 Mar 01; 59
AB  - Survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest that is not associated with acute myocardial infarction are at high risk for subsequent life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. A rational approach to evaluating the underlying disease processes and to formulating a specific treatment plan for these patients is presented. A protocol is suggested whereby existing cardiac conditions are appropriately treated and hemodynamic parameters are optimized. Myocardial ischemia is minimized with drugs or revascularization; this may suffice to prevent recurrence of sudden cardiac death in a small group of patients. For remaining patients at high risk of recurrence, the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is the therapy associated with the lowest rate of mortality.