Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

The automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) is the most effective treatment for patients with life-threatening ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association class I, IIa, and III indications for an AICD are discussed. Patients with AICDs should be treated with biventricular pacing, not with dual-chamber rate-responsive pacing at a rate of 70/minute. Patients with AICDs should be treated with beta blockers, statins, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers.