Cor Vasa 2010, 52(1-2):30-35 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2010.006

Primary prevention of sudden cardiac death - ICDs for every patient with ventricular dysfunction?

Lubomír Křivan

Interní kardiologická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Brno, Česká republika

Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases, sudden cardiac death remains a most topical problem. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have been used in sudden cardiac death prevention for almost three decades. A major breakthrough has occurred over the last ten years. The number of secondary prevention ICD implantations has remained nearly stable whereas that of primary prevention ICD recipients has increased. As the number of ICD-indicated patients increases, ICD efficacy declines and costs rise dramatically. The objective of this paper is to put the guidelines for primary prevention ICD implantation into context of results of large multicenter studies. The article tries to define the profile of patients who fail to benefit from ICD implantation even though meeting the primary prevention criteria.

Keywords: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator; Sudden cardiac death; Primary prevention

Published: January 1, 2010  Show citation