Zusammenfassung
Die Langzeit-Elektrokardiographie ist die Methode der Wahl, um die Quantität und Qualität spontaner Rhythmusstörungen zu erfassen. Die Spontanvariabilität einzelner Arrhythmieformen schränkt die Aussagekraft dieser nicht invasiven Methode ein. Invasive Verfahren wie die programmierte Stimulation ermöglichen die Provokation von Rhythmusstörungen. Indikationen für beide Verfahren sind die Abklärung von Symptomen, eine Risikostratifikation hinsichtlich der Gefährdung durch den arrhythmiebedingten plötzlichen Herztod sowie die Kontrolle einer antiarrhythmischen Therapie.
Bei der Abklärung schwerwiegender Symptome wie Synkopen und überlebtem Herzstillstand ist das Langzeit-EKG aufgrund der hohen Spontanvariabilität komplexer ventrikulärer Arrhythmien in der Regel überfordert. Nur in maximal 50% läßt sich mit dieser Methode die Ursache finden. Die invasive elektrophysiologische Untersuchung ist hier meist unerläßlich.
Die prognostische Bedeutung spontaner komplexer ventrikulärer Rhythmusstörungen, die im Langzeit-EKG dokumentiert werden können, ist abhängig von der kardialen Grundkrankheit. Für die koronare Herzkrankheit mit Zustand nach Myokardinfarkt ist sie erwiesen, insbesondere bei Vorliegen einer eingeschränkten linksventrikulären Funktion. Die programmierte Ventrikelstimulation ist nur bei der koronaren Herzkrankheit geeignet, ein Hochrisikokollektiv weiter einzuengen.
Für die Therapiekontrolle symptomatischer Patienten sind unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen beide Verfahren geeignet. Für die Mehrzahl dieser Patienten ist jedoch das invasive Verfahren vorzuziehen.
Langzeit-Elektrokardiographie und programmierte Stimulation sind somit keine konkurrierenden, sondern einander ergänzende kardiologische Verfahren.
Summary
Long-term ECG recordings are the method of choice to evaluate quantity and quality of spontaneous rhythm disturbances. However, this method is limited by the variability of the arrhythmias. Invasive procedures such as programmed stimulation allow the provocation of tachyarrhythmias. Indications for both methods are diagnostic clarification of clinical symptoms, risk stratification with respect to arrhythmogenic sudden cardiac death as well as the control of antiarrhythmic therapy.
Due to the high variability of spontaneous complex ventricular arrhythmias, Holter monitoring often fails to document the cause of severe symptoms such as syncope or sudden cardiac death. In these patients, invasive electrophysiological testing is required to provoke the arrhythmia.
The prognostic significance of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias recorded during ambulatory monitoring depends on the underlying cardiac disease. In patients with coronary artery disease and a history of myocardial infarction there is evidence that frequent single and/or complex ventricular extrasystoles indicate an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, especially in the presence of a reduced left ventricular function. In these patients, programmed ventricular stimulation can further characterize a highrisk group.
For the management of antiarrhythmic therapy in symptomatic patients, under certain conditions both methods appear to be helpful. For the majority of these patients, however, the invasive electrophysiologic study should be preferred.
Thus, long-term ECG recordings and programmed electrical stimulation are no competing, but complementary methods in clinical cardiology.
Literatur
Andresen D, Leitner ER von, Wegschneider K, Schröder R (1982) Nachweis komplexer tachykarder ventrikulärer Rhythmusstörungen im Langzeit-EKG. Abhängigkeit von der Registrierdauer. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 107:571–574
Akhtar M, Shenasa M, Denker S et al (1983) Role of electrophysiological studies in patients with unexplained recurrent syncope. PACE 6:192–201
Baedeker W, Stein H, Theiss W et al (1987) Unklare Synkopen. Diagnostik, Verlaufsbeobachtung und Schrittmachertherapie. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 112: 128–134
Bertel O, Stauber R, Dubach UC (1985) Diagnostische Abklärung und Verlauf bei 105 Patienten mit Synkopen. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 115:439–441
Bhandari AK, Hong R, Kotlewski A et al (1989) Prognostic significance of programmed ventricular stimulation in survivors of acute myocardial infarction. Br Heart J 61:410–416
Bhandari AK, Widerhorn J, Sager PT et al (1992) Prognostic significance of programmed ventricular stimulation in patients surviving complicated acute myocardial infarction. Am Heart J 124:87–96
Bigger JT, Weld FM, Rolnitzky LM (1981) Prevalence, characteristics and significance of ventricular tachycardia (three or more complexes) detected with ambulatory electrocardiographic recording in the late hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 48: 815–823
Bourke JP, Richards DAB, Ross DL et al (1991) Routine programmed electrical stimulation in survivors of acute myocardial infarction for prediction of spontaneous ventricular tachyarrhythmias during follow-up: results, optimal stimulaton protocol and cost-effective screening. J Am Coll Cardiol 18:780–788
Brugada P, Green M, Abdollah H, Wellens HJJ (1984) Significance of ventricular arrhythmia initiated by programmed ventricular stimulation: importance of the type of ventricular arrhythmia induced and the number of extrastimuli required. Circulation 69:87–92
Buxton AE, Harvey HL, Marchlinski FE, Josephson ME (1983) Electrophysiological studies in nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Relation to underlying heart disease. Am J Cardiol 52:985–991
Cassidy DM, Vassallo JA, Miller JM et al (1986) Endocardial catheter mapping in patients in sinus rhythm: relationship to underlying heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias. Circulation 73:645–652
Day SC, Cook EF, Funkenstein H, Goldman L (1982) Evaluation and outcome of emergency room patients with transient loss of consciousness. Am J Med 73:15–23
Doherty JU, Pembrook-Rogers D, Grogan EW et al (1985) Electrophysiologic evaluation and follow-up characteristics of patients with recurrent unexplained syncope and presyncope. Am J Cardiol 55:703–708
Eagle KA, Black HR, Cook EF, Goldman L (1985) Evaluation and prognostic classification for patients with syncope. Am J Med 79:455–460
Eisenberg M, Hallstrom A, Bergner L (1982) Long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. N Engl J Med 306:1340–1343
ESVEM investigators (1989) The ESVEM trial: electrophysiologic study versus electrocardiographic monitoring for selection of antiarrhythmic therapy of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Circulation 79:1354–1360
Fananapazir L, Fraag C, Leon M et al (1989) Electrophysiologic abnormalities in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Circulation 80:1259–1268
Fananapazir L, Chang A, Epstein S, McAreavey D (1992) Prospective evaluation of a therapeutic strategy based on clinical, Holter, hemodynamic and electrophysiological findings. Circulation 86:730–740
Geibel A, Brugada P, Zehendr M et al (1987) Value of programmed stimulation using a standard ventricular stimulation protocol in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Am J Cardiol 60:738–739
Gibson TC, Heitzmann MR (1984) Diagnostic efficacy of 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring for syncope. Am J Cardiol 53:1013–1017
Gonska BD, Bethge KP, Kreuzer H (1987) Spontanes und stimulus-induziertes Arrhythmieverhalten bei dilatativer Kardiomyopathie. Z Kardiol 76: 546–553
Gonska BD, Bethge KP, Kreuzer H (1987) Programmed ventricular stimulation in coronary artery disease and dilated cardiomyopathy: influence of the underlying heart disease on the results of electrophysiologic testing. Clin Cardiol 10:294–304
Gonska BD (1994) Wert der programmierten Stimulation für die Risikostratifikation nach Myokardinfarkt. Herzschr Elektrophys 5, Suppl 1:28–31
Graboys TB, Lown B, Podrid PJ, De Silva R (1982) Long-term survival of patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias treated with antiarrhythmic drugs. Am J Cardiol 50:437–443
Hamer A, Vohra J, Hunt D et al (1982) Prediction of sudden death by electrophysiologic studies in high risk patients surviving acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 50:223–229
Iesaka Y, Nagami A, Aonuma K et al (1990) Prognostic significance of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia induced by programmed ventricular stimulation using up to three extrastimuli in suvivors of acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 65:1057–1063
Kafka W, Wolfram D, Petri H, Rudolph W (1981) Korrelation zwischen Häufigkeit ventrikulärer Arrhythmien, Hämodynamik und Überlebenszeit bei Patienten mit kongestiver Kardiomyopathie (COCM). Z Kardiol 70:608
Kapoor WN, Karpf M, Toivonen L, Eisalo A (1983) A prospective evaluation and follow-up of patients with syncope. N Engl J Med 309:197–204
Kowey PR, Folland ED, Parisi AF, Lown B (1983) Programmed electrical stimulation of the heart in coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 51:531–536
Kron J, Li CK, Murphy E et al (1985) Prognostic value of programmed electrical stimulation in patients with a recent episode of unstable angina. Am Heart J 112:1–8
Kuck K, Kunze K, Schlüter et al (1988) Programmed electrical stimulation in hypertophic cardiomyopathy: results in patients with and without cardiac arrest or syncope. Eur Heart J 9:177–185
Kunz G, Raeder D, Burckhardt D (1977) What does the symptom “palpitations” mean? Correlation between symtom and the presence of cardiac arrhythmias in the ambulatory ECG. Z Kardiol 66:138
Marchlinksi FE, Buxton AE, Waxman HL, Josephson ME (1983) Identifying patients at risk of sudden death after myocardial infarction: value of the response to programmed stimulation, degree of ventricular ectopic activity and of left ventricular dysfunction. Am J Cardiol 52:1190–1196
Martin GJ, Adams SL, Martin HG et al (1984) Prospective evaluation of syncope. Ann Emerg Med 13:499
McKenna WJ, Franklin RC, Nihoyannopoulos P et al (1988) Arrhythmias and prognosis in infants, children and adolescents with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol 11:147–153
Meinertz T, Hofmann T, Kasper W et al (1984) Significance of ventricular arrhythmias in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Am J Cardiol 53:902–907
Morganroth J, Michelson EL, Horowitz LN et al (1978) Limitations of routine long-term electrocardiographic monitoring to assess ventricular ectopic frequency. Circulation 58:408–414
Naccarelli GV, Prystowsky EN, Jackman WM et al (1981) Repetitive ventricular response. Prevalence and prognostic significance. Br Heart J 46:152–158
Poole J, Mathisen T, Kudenchuk PJ et al (1990) Long-term outcome in patients who survive out of hospital ventricular fibrillation and undergo electrophysiological studies: evaluation of electrophysiologic subgroups. J Am Coll Cardiol 16:657–665
Pratt CM, Slymen DJ, Wierman AM et al (1985) Analysis of spontaneous variability of ventricular arrhythmias: consecutive ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings of ventricular tachycardia. Am J Cardiol 56:67–72
Richards DA, Cody DV, Denniss AR et al (1983) Ventricular electrical instability: a predictor of death after myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 51:75–80
Richards DA, Byth K, Ross DL et al (1991) What is the best predictor of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia and sudden death after myocardial infarction? Circulation 83:756–763
Roy D, Waxman HL, Kienzle MG et al (1983) Clinical characteristics and long-term follow-up in 119 survivors of cardiac arrest. Relation to inducibility at electro-physiologic testing. Am J Cardiol 52:969–974
Roy D, Marchand E, Théroux P et al (1985) Programmed ventricular stimulation in survivors of an acute myocardial infarction. Circulation 72:487–494
Ruberman W, Weinblatt E, Goldberg JD et al (1981) Ventricular premature complexes and sudden death after myocardial infarction. Circulation 64:297–305
Ruskin JN, Di Marco JP, Garan H (1980) Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Electrophysiological observations and selection of long-term antiarrhythmic therapy. N Engl J Med 303:607–613
Sarter BH, Finkle JK, Gerszten RE, Buxton AE (1996) What is the risk of sudden cardiac death in patients presenting with hemodynamically stable sustained ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction? J Am Coll Cardiol 28:122–129
Savage DD, Seides SF, Maron BJ et al (1979) Prevalence of arrhythmias during 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring and exercise testing in patients with obstructive and non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Circulation 59: 866–875
Silverstein MD, Singer DE, Mulley A et al (1982) Patients with syncope admitted to medical intensive care units. JAMA 248:1185–1189
Skale BT, Miles MW, Heger JJ et al (1986) Survivors of cardiac arrest: prevention of recurrence by drug therapy as predicted by electrophysiologic testing or electrocardiographic monitoring. Am J Cardiol 57:113–119
Steinbeck G für die MABIS-Gruppe (1993) Programmierte Ventrikelstimulation zur Risikostatifikation nach Myokardinfarkt. Z Kardiol 82, Suppl I:28
The Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) Investigators (1989) Preliminary report: effect of encainide and flecainide on mortality in a randomized trial of arrhythmia suppression after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med 321:406–412
Veltri EP, Platia EV, Griffith LS, Reid PR (1985) Programmed electrical stimulation and long-term follow-up in asymptomatic nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Am J Cardiol 56:309–314
Wehr M, Donges M, Becker A et al (1988) Untersuchungen zur Wertigkeit der Diagnostik und Therapie bei Synkopen unklarer Genese. Inn Med 15:210–216
Wilber DJ, Garan H, Finkelstein D (1988) Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: use of electrophysiologic testing in the prediction of long-term outcome. N Engl J Med 318:19–24
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gonska, B.D. Stellenwert spontaner und provozierter Rhythmusstörungen. Herzschr Elektrophys 8, 238–244 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03042614
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03042614