Role of Electrophysiology Testing to Define Drug Efficacy

Abstract

Patients we consider as candidates to undergo electrophysiologic testing to define drug therapy are those who have supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) that is drug-resistant, that produces severe symptoms and those patients who have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and a very rapid ventricular response during atrial fibrillation. Regarding patients who have ventricular tachycardia, we would evaluate those patients who are symptomatic during the ventricular tachycardia, and whose ventricular tachycardia is drug-resistant, occurs infrequently, and is more likely to be inducible electrophysiologically, such as those patients who have sustained ventricular tachycardia on the basis of coronary artery disease. Patients who are resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation should also be considered as candidates for an electrophysiologic study.