Indications for implantation and efficiency of cardioverter-defibrillators in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Purpose. To assess the frequency and predictors of appropriate shocks of cardioverter-defibrillators in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) syndrome and the impact on the total mortality and sudden cardiac death (SCD).Material and Methods. A total of 275 patients with DCM syndrome (average age of 46.8 ± 12.5 years; 185 males and 90 females) were observed. Inclusion criteria were left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter (EDD) more than 5.5 cm and LV ejection fraction (EF) less than 50%. Patients with coronary artery stenosis more than 50% were excluded. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) (n=44) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) (n=32) were implanted in 76 (27.6%) patients (53 males and 23 females, average age of 48.9±12.9 years, LV EDD of 6.7±0.8 cm, and LV EF of 28.2±9.9%). A comparison group comprised 199 patients (72.4%) without devices (132 males and 67 females, average age of 46.0±12.3 years, LV EDD of 6.5±0.8 cm, and LV EF of 32.0±10.2%). The average follow-up was 27 (24; 30) months.Results. SCD in patients with DCM syndrome was recorded in 2.9% of cases; the total mortality rate was 18.9%; the rate of death + transplantation was 22.6%. The SCD, total mortality, and death+transplantation rates were 2.6% (4.6/0%), 23.7% (22.7/25.0%), and 32.9% (34.1/31.3%) in patients with devices (ICD/CRT-D) and 3.0%, 17.1%, and 16.6% in patients without devices, respectively. The rate of SCD+appropriate shocks (ASR) was significantly higher in study group: 26.3 vs 3.0% in comparison group (p0.05) were registered more often. The average LV EF was higher in patients with ASR (34.4±9.7%) in comparison with patients without ASR (25.9±8.8%), р function show_eabstract() { $('#eabstract1').hide(); $('#eabstract2').show(); $('#eabstract_expand').hide(); }