Antitachycardia pacing with cardioverter-defibrillator backup for malignant ventricular dysrhythmias.

This article provides a summary of the history of antitachydysrhythmic devices and their current application in patients with ventricular dysrhythmias. Future trends are also discussed, followed by a case study illustrating the nursing care required for a patient with a combination antitachycardia pacemaker and automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for slow ventricular tachycardia. The basic principles provided can be incorporated into the teaching plans of patients with antidysrhythmic devices for malignant ventricular dysrhythmias.