Treatment of Ventricular Arrhythmias—Suppression, Survival, and the Problem of Bias
Authors: BRIAN MCGOVERN
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1984)

Editorials1 July 1984Treatment of Ventricular Arrhythmias—Suppression, Survival, and the Problem of BiasBRIAN MCGOVERN, M.B., HASAN GARAN, M.D., JEREMY N. RUSKIN, M.D.BRIAN MCGOVERN, M.B.Search for more papers by this author, HASAN GARAN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, JEREMY N. RUSKIN, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-101-1-123 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptVarious innovative drug, surgical, and electrical treatments have been used recently for patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias (1-8). Each approach has enthusiastic advocates who compare studies and attribute fewer recurrent arrhythmias or improved survival to a particular treatment. However, no adequate comparative studies between these therapies have been done. Furthermore, because of ethical and practical constraints, randomized placebo-controlled studies that may approximate an ideal comparison may never be done for some of these therapies (9). Because of reports of promising, albeit uncontrolled, data, many physicians are understandably reluctant to withhold a particular treatment from a patient considered to be at high...References1. FISHERCOHENMEHRAALTSCHULERESCHERFURMAN JHRMDS. Cardiac pacing and pacemakers: II. Serial electrophysiologic-pharmacologic testing for control of recurrent tachyarrhythmias. Am Heart J. 1977;93:658-68. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. HOROWITZJOSEPHSONFARSHIDISPIELMANMICHELSONGREENSPAN LMASEA. Recurrent sustained ventricular tachycarcdia: 3. Role of the electrophysiologic study in the selection of antiarrhythmic regimens. Circulation. 1978;58:986-97. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. MASONWINKLE JR. 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Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: BRIAN MCGOVERN, M.B.; HASAN GARAN, M.D.; JEREMY N. RUSKIN, M.D.Affiliations: Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, Massachusetts PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byTime-dependent study entries and exposures in cohort studies can easily be sources of different and avoidable types of bias 1 July 1984Volume 101, Issue 1Page: 123-125KeywordsArrhythmiaDrugsHeartPatientsTachycardia ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 July 1984 PDF downloadLoading ...