Does an implantable defibrillator reduce all-cause mortality in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest compared to amiodarone/metoprolol?
In cardiac arrest survivors, ICD therapy provides a nonsignificant 23% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to amiodarone/metoprolol, with the benefit being more evident during the first 5 years.
During long-term follow-up of cardiac arrest survivors, therapy with an ICD is associated with a 23% (nonsignificant) reduction of all-cause mortality rates when compared with treatment with amiodarone/metoprolol. The benefit of ICD therapy is more evident during the first 5 years after the index event.
Kuck et al. (2000) studied this question.