Medical therapy for sudden death

Medical therapy has an important role in patients who have a risk of sudden death. Accurate diagnosis of the underlying cardiac problem and the exact rhythm disturbance are the two keys to management. In some high risk-instances, medical therapy alone is not advisable; placement of a defibrillator is necessary. Nevertheless, appropriate drugs can reduce the incidence of symptoms and reduce the risk of sudden death. Recent advances in genetic diagnosis have raised the possibility that pharmacologic/molecular biologic manipulation of ion channel receptors probably will be the ultimate management for many patients who have the risk of sudden death.