[Treatment of choice and long-term prognosis for ventricular arrhythmias].

Treatment of choice and long-term prognosis of the patients with ventricular arrhythmias are described in terms of prevention of sudden cardiac death and/or recurrence of life-threatening arrhythmias(ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation). 1) As to the long-term prognosis of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, presence of organic heart disease and degree of cardiac dysfunction are major determining factors. 2) The prognosis of patients with ventricular arrhythmias depends on how sudden cardiac death and life-threatening arrhythmias can be prevented. Among various methods, the electrophysiological test and its guided-therapy for antiarrhythmic drugs are now believed to be the most effective method for the prediction and prevention of the life-threatening events. We propose that the signal averaged electrocardiography is the best screening method as non-invasive approach for the selection of patients undergoing the electrophysiological test. 3) There are still certain limitations as to the prediction of sudden cardiac death and/or prevention of recurrent life-threatening arrhythmias by antiarrhythmic drug treatments in the certain numbers of patients depending on their basal cardiac disease and functional impairment. At present, catheter ablation procedure and implantable cardioverter defibrillator are the choice of the treatment in these cases. 4) In addition to conventional antiarrhythmic drugs, the treatment for the basal cardiac condition is mandatory for the long-term prognosis in the patients with ventricular arrhythmias.