The implantable defibrillator in ventricular arrhythmias.

The most common cause of sudden cardiac death appears to be electrical instability that culminates in ventricular fibrillation. The implantable defibrillator, a self-contained diagnostic-therapeutic system, provides automatic detection and correction of malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Principles involved in its development are reviewed, as are initial clinical results.