Author/Editor		Škrabl-Močnik, Frančiška
Title		Aritmije pri srčnem popuščanju
Translated title		Arrhythmias in heart failure
Type		članek
Source		In: Kenda MF, Rakovec P, editors. Sodobna obravnava motenj srčnega ritma. 9. kardiološki dnevi; 2000 okt 20-21; Šmarješke toplice. Ljubljana: Združenje kardiologov Slovenije,
Publication year		2000
Volume		str. 31-6
Language		slo
Abstract		The growing number of patients with heart failure due to aging of population points out the problem of arrhythmia management in this group of patients. Rhythm disturbances are commoner and more dangerous in this group and the unwanted and damaging side effects of antiarrhythmic drugs are more prominent. Besides the treatment of the primary disease and maintenance or improvement of cardiac function, there are only a few antyarrhythmic drugs available, namely amiodarone and dofetilide. Electroablation, antitachycardial electrostimulation, and atrial cardioversion are also promising. Dangerous ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation, haemodinamically significant ventricular tachycardia and inducable ventricular tachycardias insensitive to drug therapy are treated in several different ways The only successful antiarrhythmic drug in patients with heart failure is proven to be amiodarone, which on the other hand has quite toxic profile, and beta blokers, which undoubtedly also lessen the probability of sudden cardiac death. The combination of beta blokers and amiodarone is promising and most efficient conservative therapy. The role of beta blokers in the sense of their antiarrhythmical effect will probably be redefined in the light of growing number of studies. The success rate is higher if implantable cardioverter defibrillators are used compared with drug therapy alone. Combination of the two therapies produces an even higher success rate. The negative side of the implantable cardioverter defibrillators is their high price. In therapy of ventricular arrhythmias, we have to achieve the best possible level of rhythm maintenance and treatment of cardiac function.
Descriptors		ARRHYTHMIA HEART FAILURE, CONGESTIVE AMIODARONE ADRENERGIC BETA-ANTAGONISTS ELECTRIC STIMULATION THERAPY DEFIBRILLATORS, IMPLANTABLE