TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of acute hemodynamic decompensation on electrical inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and complex nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias
AU - Kulich, Daniel L.
AU - Bhandari, Anil K.
AU - Hong, Robert
AU - Petersen, Ronald
AU - Leon, Cheryl
AU - Rahimtoola, Shahbudin H.
N1 - Funding Information:
In patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and nonsustained complex ventricular arrhythmias, the risk Medical Center, University of Southern California School of Medicine. Supported in part by a Grant (M01 RR-43) from the General Clinical Research Centers Program of the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. Received for publication Sept. 19, 1989; accepted Nov. 1, 1989. Reprint requests: Daniel L. Kulick, MD, LAC-USCM edical Center, Division of Cardiology,2 025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033. 4/1/18490 of sudden death is substantial, with a reported annual incidence ranging from 12% to 29%. 14 Because the mechanism of sudden death is presumably sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation in the vast majority, 5 and because these arrhythmias are presumed to be reentrant in mechanism, 6 one may expect programmed ventricular stimulation to be useful in identifying patients at an increased risk of sudden death. Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring has shown a high incidence of spontaneous nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias in patients
PY - 1990/4
Y1 - 1990/4
N2 - In patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, hemodynamic decompensation has been postulated to increase vulnerability to reentrant ventricular arrhythmias. To test this hypothesis, we performed programmed ventricular stimulation with three extrastimuli on nine patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and asymptomatic complex ventricular arrhythmias during a period of acute hemodynamic decompensation; programmed ventricular stimulation was then repeated following hemodynamic improvement with nitroprusside. These patients did not have a history of documented or suspected sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.21±0.04 (range 0.15 to 0.26). In the baseline state, mean right atrial pressure was 8±4 mm Hg, pulmonary artery wedge pressure was 20±3 mm Hg, and cardiac index was 3.2±0.5 L/min/m2. Following acute hemodynamic decompensation, mean right atrial pressure increased to 16±5 mm Hg and pulmonary artery wedge pressure to 33±8 mm Hg; cardiac index decreased to 2.1±0.5 L/min/m2. In this decompensated state, programmed ventricular stimulation failed to induce sustained or nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias in any patient. Following nitroprusside administration (mean dose 1.5±1.1 μg/kg/min), there were significant decreases in mean right atrial pressure (11±3 mm Hg) and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (16±3 mm Hg), and a significant increase in cardiac index (3.1±1.1 L/min/m2 (p<0.05 for all values versus the decompensated state). In the improved hemodynamic state, programmed ventricular stimulation induced nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (six beats) in only one patient, and sustained arrhythmias in none. During a mean follow-up of 11±7 months, there were three sudden cardiac deaths and two nonsudden cardiac deaths due to refractory heart failure. Thus in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, the presence of acute hemodynamic decompensation did not predispose to an increased inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias during programmed ventricular stimulation. Nonetheless, these patients had a high incidence of sudden death during relatively short follow-up. These findings reaffirm the limited value of programmed ventricular stimulation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and suggest alternate mechanisms other than reentry induced by acule hemodynamic decompensation as being responsible for increased arrhythmogenesis.
AB - In patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, hemodynamic decompensation has been postulated to increase vulnerability to reentrant ventricular arrhythmias. To test this hypothesis, we performed programmed ventricular stimulation with three extrastimuli on nine patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and asymptomatic complex ventricular arrhythmias during a period of acute hemodynamic decompensation; programmed ventricular stimulation was then repeated following hemodynamic improvement with nitroprusside. These patients did not have a history of documented or suspected sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.21±0.04 (range 0.15 to 0.26). In the baseline state, mean right atrial pressure was 8±4 mm Hg, pulmonary artery wedge pressure was 20±3 mm Hg, and cardiac index was 3.2±0.5 L/min/m2. Following acute hemodynamic decompensation, mean right atrial pressure increased to 16±5 mm Hg and pulmonary artery wedge pressure to 33±8 mm Hg; cardiac index decreased to 2.1±0.5 L/min/m2. In this decompensated state, programmed ventricular stimulation failed to induce sustained or nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias in any patient. Following nitroprusside administration (mean dose 1.5±1.1 μg/kg/min), there were significant decreases in mean right atrial pressure (11±3 mm Hg) and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (16±3 mm Hg), and a significant increase in cardiac index (3.1±1.1 L/min/m2 (p<0.05 for all values versus the decompensated state). In the improved hemodynamic state, programmed ventricular stimulation induced nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (six beats) in only one patient, and sustained arrhythmias in none. During a mean follow-up of 11±7 months, there were three sudden cardiac deaths and two nonsudden cardiac deaths due to refractory heart failure. Thus in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, the presence of acute hemodynamic decompensation did not predispose to an increased inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias during programmed ventricular stimulation. Nonetheless, these patients had a high incidence of sudden death during relatively short follow-up. These findings reaffirm the limited value of programmed ventricular stimulation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and suggest alternate mechanisms other than reentry induced by acule hemodynamic decompensation as being responsible for increased arrhythmogenesis.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0002-8703(05)80326-6
DO - 10.1016/S0002-8703(05)80326-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 2321507
AN - SCOPUS:0025348312
SN - 0002-8703
VL - 119
SP - 878
EP - 883
JO - American heart journal
JF - American heart journal
IS - 4
ER -