Objective: To report appropriate (AT) and inappropriate (IT) ICD therapies in patients with ischemic and nonischemic heart disease, as well as early and late procedure-related complications. Methods:One hundred and fifty-five patients (119 male and 36 female), mean age 47 years (21-88), who underwent ICD implantation between 1994 and March 2003 were analyzed. Patients were divided into the following groups: Group I -Post-AMI patients (n = 80); Group II -Patients with nonischemic heart disease and LV ejection fraction < 40% (n = 45), Chagas disease (n = 18), idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (n= 12), hypertensive disease (n = 8), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 4) and valvular heart disease (n = 3); Group III -Patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (n = 13); and Group IV -Patients with channelopathies: Brugada Syndrome (n = 8) and idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (n = 9). All patients underwent EPS before ICD implantation.Results: During the 26-month mean follow up, a high rate of appropriate ICD therapies (antitachycardia pacing and/or shock) was observed (46%) in the four groups, with no statistically significant difference. The four groups did not differ in either overall (8.4%) or arrhythmic mortality (1.3%). There was no correlation between appropriate ICD therapies and initial clinical presentation or inducible ventricular arrhythmia at EPS, and a 4% incidence of early and late procedure-related complications was found. Conclusion:The high incidence of appropriate ICD therapy and low rate of sudden death in the patients studied suggest that ICD is a valuable strategy in the management of ischemic and nonischemic patients previously selected by means of EPS.Key words: Sudden death, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, appropriate and inappropriate discharges, ischemic and nonischemic heart disease.

Objective -To assess the clinical, electrocardiographic, and electrophysiologic characteristics of patients (pt) with intra-His bundle block undergoing an electrophysiologic study (EPS). Methods -

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are the major cause of late sudden death in patients undergoing repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (TF).

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