Mason and Winkle used the Arrhythmia Severity Index to evaluate patients undergoing drug trials for ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The authors are from Stanford University School of Medicine.
Parameters:
(1) number of cardiopulmonary resuscitation episodes
(2) number of direct current cardioversion episodes
(3) number of documented arrhythmia episodes
(4) number of drugs failed in past
(5) hospitalizations
where:
• Drug failure involves documented recurrence of sustained ventricular tachycardia in patients with previously sustained ventricular tachycardia, and >= 3 repetitive beats in patients with previously unsustained ventricular tachycardia.
• The length of time in the drug trial varied from only a few weeks up to 4 years.
|
Parameters |
Findings |
Points |
|
cardiopulmonary resuscitations |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
>= 2 |
2 |
|
direct current cardioversion |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
>= 2 |
2 |
|
documented arrhythmia episodes |
0 – 3 episodes |
0 |
|
|
4 –7 episodes |
1 |
|
|
>= 8 episodes |
2 |
|
number of previous drug failures |
0 - 1 |
0 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
|
>= 3 |
2 |
|
hospitalizations |
0 - 1 time, or < 10 days |
0 |
|
|
2 times, or 10-20 days |
1 |
|
|
3 or more times, or >= 21 days |
2 |
total score =
= SUM(points for all 5 parameters)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 10
• The higher the score the more severe the ventricular tachyarrhythmia.
Specialty: Cardiology
