Preventing sudden death in coronary cardiomyopathy: Implantable defibrillators lead the way

ABSTRACT

The Multicenter Unsustained Tachycardia Trial (MUSTT) demonstrated that electrophysiologic testing (EP)-guided therapy significantly reduces arrhythmic death and cardiac arrest in patients with coronary artery disease, a left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or less, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and inducible ventricular arrhythmia on EP testing—but only if the therapy includes an implantable defibrillator. All patients who meet the MUSTT inclusion criteria should undergo an EP test and if positive, should undergo defibrillator implantation.