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(Circulation. 2004;110:765.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

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An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF ARRHYTHMIC DEATH AND TOTAL MORTALITY IN THE MULTICENTER UNSUSTAINED TACHYCARDIA TRIAL, by Zimetbaum et al.

A simple, widely available test that identifies patients at risk for arrhythmic mortality is of great interest for screening patients for protection with an implantable defibrillator (ICD). The ECG finding of interventricular conduction delay has been suggested to be such a marker and is incorporated into present indications for ICD implantation. Left ventricular hypertrophy that is detectable from the ECG is associated with electrophysiological changes that predispose to arrhythmias, but it has received less attention. The MUSTT investigators have assessed the relation of interventricular conduction abnormalities and left ventricular hypertrophy to mortality and cardiac arrest in their cohort of patients with coronary artery disease, depressed ventricular function, and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia who were not treated with antiarrhythmic therapy. The findings provide further support for the potential use of the ECG to identify high-risk patients. A useful analysis of specific types of conduction delay is provided. ECG findings of left bundle-branch block and left ventricular hypertrophy are worrisome findings that should prompt review of ventricular function and consideration for ICD implantation in patients with coronary artery disease. See p 766.

IS THE IMPACT OF HOSPITAL AND SURGEON VOLUMES ON THE IN-HOSPITAL MORTALITY RATE FOR CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT SURGERY LIMITED TO PATIENTS AT HIGH RISK? by Wu et al.

Experts disagree about whether hospital and surgeon volume should influence referrals for bypass surgery, and this remains quite controversial. New York State has publicly reported an ongoing prospective registry of bypass surgery for many years. Investigators used this database, which contains detailed information about patients and surgeons, to determine whether hospital volume is more important for high-risk patients. The policy question is whether the selective referral of certain types of . . . [Full Text of this Article]