ABSTRACT
This article uses a biologic model of sudden cardiac death to identify structural abnormalities that serve as the substrate for sustained arrhythmias and functional changes that are transient and necessary for triggering an arrhythmia. The biologic framework is a valuable tool to use in understanding the relationship between structure and function and in organizing patients' clinical presentations and outcomes.
Subject(s)
Death, Sudden, Cardiac , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/epidemiology , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/etiology , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/prevention & control , Humans , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Management of dysrhythmias associated with WPW syndrome must be individualized. A detailed EPS in selected patients should be done to assess the location of accessory pathways and the efficacy of antiarrhythmic medications. Palliative treatment used in the prevention of SVT would include a pharmacologic approach or perhaps an antitachycardia pacemaker. Curative methods for treating the SVT associated with accessory pathways of WPW syndrome include ablative techniques. Surgical ablation is currently accepted as the gold standard of treatment, but catheter ablation offers promising hope as an adjunctive therapy in treating patients with WPW syndrome.
