Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sudden Cardiac Death: Prognosis of Long-term Antiarrhythmic Therapy

  • Conference paper
Cardiac Arrhythmias

  • 61 Accesses

Abstract

According to cause-of-death statistics in the Federal Republic of Germany for the year 1979, the percentage of deaths due to cardiovascular disease has risen from 39% to 49% over the past 20 years. This rise in cardiovascular mortality is attributed to an increase in ischémic heart disease from 22% to 35% during the same period (Cause-of-Death Statistics, 1981). Studies by Lovegrove and Thompson (1978) have shown that approximately 71% of these persons die within 30 minutes after the onset of symptoms, i.e., have what is termed a “sudden death.” In 87% of persons who died within 1 h, evidence pointed to a cardiac arrhythmia as the immediate cause of death (Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study Research Group, 1980). Death in such cases is due to a potentially treatable electrical instability of the heart, rather than to a terminal stage of organic failure. Much research, therefore, has been directed toward the recognition of patient groups that are at risk of sudden cardiac death, as well as toward the development of treatment regimes aimed at preventing such deaths.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • A multicentre international study, (1975) Improvement in prognogis of myocardial infarction by long-term beta-adrenoreceptor blockade using practolol. Br Med J 3: 735–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson KP, DeCamilla J, Moss AJ, (1978) Clinical significance of ventricular tachycardia (3 beats or longer) detected during ambulatory monitoring after myocardial infarction. Circulation 57: 890–896

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen MP, Bechsgaard P, Frederiksen J, Hansen DA, Jürgensen HJ, Nielsen B, Pedersen F, Pedersen-Bjergaard O, Rasmussen SL (1979) Effect of alprenolol on mortality among patients with definite or suspected acute myocardial infarction. Lancet 27: 865–867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armbrust CA, Levine SA, (1950) Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia: A study of one hundred and seven cases. Circulation 1: 28–40

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study Research Group, (1980) A randomized, controlled trial of aspirin in persons recovered from myocardial infarction. JAMA 243: 661–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baber NS, Wainwright Evans D, Howitt G, Thomas M, Wilson C, Lewis JA, Dawes PM, Handler K, Tuson R, (1980) Multicentre post-infarction trial of propranolol in 49 hospitals in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Yugoslavia. Br Heart J 44: 96–100

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Betablocker heart attack study group, (1981) The betablocker heart attack trial. JAMA 246: 2073–2074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cats VM, Lie KI, Van Capelle FJL, Durrer D, (1979) Limitations of 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recording in predicting coronary events after acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 44: 1257–1262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain DA, Julian DG, Boyle DMcC, Jewitt DE, Campbell RWF, Shanks RG, and others, (1980) Oral mexiletine in high-risk patients after myocardial infarction. Lancet 20/27: 1324–1327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang BN, Perlam LV, Ostrander LD, Epstein FH, (1969) Relationship of premature systoles to coronary heart disease and sudden death in the Tecumseh epidemiologic study. Ann Intern Med 70: 1159–1166

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collaborative Group, (1971) Phenytoin after recovery from myocardial infarction. Lancet 2: 1055–1057

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis HT, DeCamilla J, Bayer LW, Moss AJ, (1979) Survivorship patterns in the posthospital phase of myocardial infarction. Circulation 60: 1252–1258

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hammermeister KE, DeRouen TA, Dodge HT, (1979) Variables predictive of survival in patients with coronary disease. Circulation 59: 421–430

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heger JJ, Prystowsky EN, Jackman WM, Naccarelli GV, Warfel KA, Rinkenberger RL, Zipes DP, (1981) Amiodarone: Clinical efficacy and electrophysiology during long-term therapy for recurrent ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. N Engl J Med 305: 539–545

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hjalmarson Å, Elmfeldt D, Herlitz J, Holmberg S, Málek I, Nyberg G, Rydén L, Swedberg K, Vedin A, Waagstein F, Waldenström A, Waldenström J, Wedel H, Wilhelmsen L, Wilhelmsson C, (1981) Effect on mortality of metoprolol in acute myocardial infarction: A double-blind randomised trial. Lancet 17: 823–827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz LN, Josephson ME, Farshidi A, Spielman SR, Michelson EL, Greenspan AM, (1978) Recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia 3. Role of the electrophysiologic study in selection of antiarrhythmic regimes. Circulation 58: 987–997

    Google Scholar 

  • Kannel WB, Sorlie P, McNamara PM, (1979) Prognosis after initial myocardial infarction: The Framingham Study. Am J Cardiol 44: 53–59

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaski JC, Girotti L, Messuti H, Rutitzky B, Rosenbaum MB, (1981) Long-term management of sustained, recurrent, symptomatic ventricular tachycardia with amiodarone. Circulation 64: 273–279

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kosowsky BD, Taylor J, Lown B, Ritchie RF, (1971) Long-term use of procainamide following acute myocardial infarction. Circulation 47: 1204–1210

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotier MN, Tabatznik B, Mower MM, Tominaga S, (1973) Prognostic significance of ventricular ectopic beats with respect to sudden death in the late postinfarction period. Circulation 47: 959–966

    Google Scholar 

  • Liberthson RR, Nagel EL, Hirschman JC, Nussenfeld SR, (1974) Prehospital ventricular defibrillation. N Engl J Med 291: 317–321

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lovegrove T, Thompson P, (1978) The role of acute myocardial infarction in sudden cardiac death — a statisticians’s nightmare. Am Heart J 96: 711–713

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mason JW, Winkle RA, (1980) Accuracy of the ventricular tachycardia-induction study for predicting long-term efficacy and inefficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs. N Engl J Med 303: 1073–1077

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moss AJ, Davis HT, DeCamilla J, Bayer LW, (1979) Ventricular ectopic beats and their relation to sudden and nonsudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction. Circulation 60: 998–1003

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Myerburg RJ, Conde C, Sheps DS, Appel RA, Kiem I, Sung RJ, Castellanos A, (1979) Antiarrhythmic drug therapy in survivors of prehospital cardiac arrest: Comparison of effects on chronic ventricular arrhythmias and recurrent cardiac arrest. Circulation 59: 855–863

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen BL, Nielsen JC, Nielsen JS, (1978) Can procainamide improve the prognosis of patients with ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial infarction? Dan Med Bull 25: 121–125

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paul O, Schatz M, (1971) On sudden death. Circulation 43: 7–10

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peter T, Ross D, Duffield A, Luxton M, Harper R, Hunt D, Sloman G, (1978) Effect on survival after myocardial infarction of long-term treatment with phenytoin. Br Heart J 40: 1356–1360

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Joint International Society and Federation of Cardiology World Health Organization Task Force on Standardization of Clinical Nomenclature (1979) Nomenclature and criteria for diagnosis of ischémic heart disease. Circulation 59: 607–609

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruberman W, Weinblatt E, Goldberg GD, Frank CW, Shapiro S, (1977) Ventricular premature beats and mortality after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med 297: 750–759

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruskin JN, DiMarco JP, Garan H, (1980) Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Electrophysiologic observations and selection of longterm antiarrhythmic therapy. N Engl J Med 303: 607–613

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffer WA, Cobb LA, (1975) Recurrent ventricular fibrillation and modes of death in survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation. N Engl J Med 293: 259–262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze RA, Strauss HW, Pitt B, (1977) Sudden death in the year following myocardial infarction. Am J Med 62: 192–199

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Temple R, Pledger GW, (1980) The FDA’s critique of the anturane reinfarction trial. N Engl J Med 303: 1488–1492

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • The Norwegian multicenter study group, (1981) Timolol-induced reduction in mortality and reinfarction in patients surviving acute myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med 304: 801–807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todesursachenstatistik (Cause-of-death statistics) (1981) Dtsch Med Wochenschr 106: 157–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Durme JP, Pannier RH, (1976) Prognostic significance of ventricular dysrhythmias 1 year after myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 37: 178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Durme JP, Bogaert MG, (1980) Prevention of sudden death. The role of antiarrhythmic therapy. In: Kulbertus HE, Wellens HJJ (eds) Sudden death. Nyhoff, The Hague p 331

    Google Scholar 

  • Vismara LA, Amsterdam EA, Mason DT, (1975) Relation of ventricular arrhythmias in the late hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction to sudden death after hospital discharge. Am J Med 59: 6–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wellens HJ, Bär FWHM, Vanagt EJDM, Brugada P, (1982) Medical treatment of ventricular tachycardia: Considerations in the selection of patients for surgical treatment. Am J Cardiol 49: 186–193

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelmsson C, Vedin JA, Wilhelmsen L, Tibblin G, Werkö L, (1974) Reduction of sudden deaths after myocardial infarction by treatment with alprenolol: preliminary results. Lancet 2: 1157–60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. M. Manz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Steinbeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Lüderitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kerckhoff-Klinik of the Max-Planck-Society, Benekestraße 4-6, D-6350, Bad Nauheim, Germany

    M. Schlepper

  2. Department of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-41345, Göteborg, Sweden

    B. Olsson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1983 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Manz, M., Steinbeck, G., Lüderitz, B. (1983). Sudden Cardiac Death: Prognosis of Long-term Antiarrhythmic Therapy. In: Schlepper, M., Olsson, B. (eds) Cardiac Arrhythmias. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68926-0_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68926-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-68928-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-68926-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation