Mechanisms of Death in the CABG Patch Trial

Abstract

The CABG Patch trial compared prophylactic implantable cardiac-defibrillator (ICD) implantation with no antiarrhythmic therapy in coronary bypass surgery patients who had a left ventricular ejection fraction 1 hour from the onset of symptoms, dyspnea within 7 days of death, and overt heart failure within 7 days of death. In the CABG Patch Trial, ICD therapy reduced arrhythmic death 45% without significant effect on nonarrhythmic deaths. Because 71% of the deaths were nonarrhythmic, total mortality was not significantly reduced.