Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias: Who Should Be Referred to an Electrophysiologist?

Patients with mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic ventricular ectopic activity c Patients with highly symptomatic ventricular ectopic activity c Asymptomatic patients with "benign" ventricular tachycardia on or off antiarrhythmic drug treatment c Symptomatic patients with "benign" ventricular tachycardia or controlled only with unacceptable side effects from antiarrhythmic drugs c Patients who are candidates for prophylactic ICD implantation but without symptomatic arrhythmia c Patients who are candidates for prophylactic ICD implantation but with symptomatic arrhythmia c Any patient with symptomatic ventricular tachycardia with or without prophylactic ICD indication c Any patient suspected of having a "sudden cardiac death syndrome" c Any patient in whom arrhythmia mechanism is uncertain ICD, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.