Cardiac Arrest Induced by Anti-Bradycardia and Anti-Tachycardia Therapies of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Mauro Toniolo, Elisabetta Dale

Abstract

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) can terminate ventricular tachy-arrhythmias (VTs) with shocks or antitachycardia pacing (ATP). Lots of studies demonstrated that ATP terminates most of VTs but with a 1% to 7% risk of acceleration or precipitation of these arrhythmias. Also, anti-bradycardia therapy can have an intrinsic arrythmogenic risk.