Ventricular ectopic beats treatment – Heart 2006

 

Treating patients with ventricular ectopic beats: key points

• Ventricular ectopic beats (VEBs) are frequently seen in daily clinical practice and are usually benign

• Presence of heart disease should be sought and, if absent, indicates good prognosis in patients with VEBs

• There is no clear evidence that caffeine restriction is effective in reducing VEB frequency, but patients with excessive caffeine intake should be cautioned and appropriately advised if symptomatic with VEBs

• Unifocal VEBs arising from the right ventricular outflow tract are common and may increase with exercise and cause non-sustained or sustained ventricular tachycardia. Catheter ablation is effective and safe treatment for these patients

• β blockers may be used for symptom control in patients where VEBs arise from multiple sites. It should also be considered in patients with impaired ventricular systolic function and/or heart failure

• Risk of sudden cardiac death from malignant ventricular arrhythmia should be considered in patients with heart disease who have frequent VEBs. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator may be indicated if risk stratification criteria are met

• VEBs have also been shown to trigger malignant ventricular arrhythmias in certain patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and other syndromes. Catheter ablation may be considered in some patients as adjunctive treatment

Treating patients with ventricular ectopic beats -- Ng 92 (11): 1707 – Heart, 2006

Technorati Теги: cardiology