Clinical Investigations AICD in the Treatment of Patients with Ventricular Tachycardia and Fibrilation

Between June 1990 and December 1991, 21 out of 64 patients received AICD (automatic implantable cardioverter defibrilator) for sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation. There were 16 male and 5 female patients. Ages ranged between 18 and 87, with a mean age of 63±3. The indication for AICD implantation was made according to the "decision tree" developed by Brugada et al. According to this, for patinets whose risk for sudden cardiac death in the next 2 years was calculated as less than 10 %, no additional therapy was added to the conventional medical therapy. The patients with a calculated risk of more than 10 % received AICD in addition to medical therapy. In the medical therapy group (Group I), no patients were lost at the end of 6 months. In the AICD group (Group II), the peroperative mortality was zero and two patients were lost in the Iate postoperative period. At the end of six moths, 22 shocks were detected in six patients in this group.