ABSTRACT
Cardiac arrhythmias can present a number of challenges for the clinician. Some arrhythmias clearly produce serious hemodynamic compromise that can be fatal, but some cause no clinically evident problems. Other arrhythmias may portend increased risk for sudden arrhythmic death. In addition to identifying the presence and type of arrhythmia, the clinician is faced with the issues of whether antiarrhythmic drug therapy is warranted, which drug would be most effective, and whether the benefits of therapy outweigh potential risks. The cardiac rhythm is ultimately determined by a complex interplay of factors. Some of these factors can be modified by means other than antiarrhythmic drugs in a way that reduces the occurrence or severity of the arrhythmia.
