Recurrent Ventricular Arrythmias in ICU

Electrical storm (ES) is a life-threatening syndrome defined by the recurrence of ventricular arrythmias. ES is also represented by a wide spectrum of clinical situations ranging from recurrent monomorphic VT reduced by anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) in relatively stable patients to recurrent VF in hemodynamically unstable patients. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and predictors of long term mortality following hospitalization in the intensive care unit for ES, in a large retrospective multicentric study.

Electrical storm (ES) is a life-threatening syndrome defined by the recurrence of ventricular arrythmias) and commonly occurs in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) recipients with an incidence ranging from 10 to 58% for secondary prevention. ES is also represented by a wide spectrum of clinical situations ranging from recurrent monomorphic VT reduced by anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) in relatively stable patients to recurrent VF in hemodynamically unstable patients. Furthermore, ES can occur in the setting of acute reversible factors and/or underlying advanced structural heart disease. This wide clinical spectrum leads to major implications in ES management. Although several studies have focused on the predictors of ES and associated mortality, especially in the setting of VT ablation, only limited data assessing predictors of mortality following ES, are available. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and predictors of long term mortality following hospitalization in the intensive care unit for ES, in a large retrospective multicentric study.