Research Information System
Turk Kardiyoloji Dernegi Arsivi, vol.33, no.6, pp.331-340, 2005 (SCI-Expanded)
Objectives: We evaluated patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) with respect to etiological factors, demographic and clinical features, in-hospital mortality and reviewed recent therapeutic approaches in high-risk patients. Study design: This retrospective study included 392 consecutive patients (111 females, 281 males; mean age 59.2 years; range 20 to 90 years) who were admitted to our hospital with sustained VT or who developed in-hospital VT between January 2000 and May 2003. Results: The most common etiological cause was chronic ischemia (45.9%), followed by acute ischemia (18.6%) and dilated cardiomyopathy (14.3%), whereas no etiologic cause was found in 60 patients (15.3%). Ventricular tachycardia was accompanied by ventricular fibrillation (VF) and syncope in 109 (27.8%) and 196 (50%) patients, respectively. Of the patient group, 147 patients (37.5%) had three-vessel, 68 patients (17.4%) had two-vessel, and 35 patients (8.9%) had one-vessel disease. Ninety-two patients (23.5%) died during hospitalisation. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with diabetes mellitus (p=0.002), acute myocardial infarction (p=0.004), syncope (p<0.001), and VF (p<0.001), whereas it was significantly lower in patients with idiopathic VT (p=0.01 ), and in those with an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (p=0.005). Logistic regression analysis revealed that syncope (p<0.001) and VF (p<0.001) were independent factors affecting mortality. Conclusion: The development of VT is associated with poor prognosis in patients with ischemia, which requires prompt and aggressive therapeutic approaches in intensive care units.