In patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia and reduced ejection fraction, which device is the treatment of choice to prevent sudden cardiac death?

• A. Implantable Defibrillator
• B. Beta Blocker
• C. Radiofrequency Ablation
• D. Warfarin

Answer: (A)

When a patient has sustained ventricular tachycardia and a reduced ejection fraction, the risk of recurrent life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death is high. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator stays inside the chest and continuously monitors the heart, ready to detect VT or VF and deliver a rapid shock or pacing to terminate the dangerous rhythm and restore normal rhythm. This direct, automatic protection against sudden death dramatically lowers mortality from malignant arrhythmias, making it the preferred therapy in this scenario. While beta blockers help reduce arrhythmia risk and ablation can lessen VT episodes, neither replaces the immediate, life-saving intervention an ICD provides. Warfarin’s role is stroke prevention in other contexts and does not prevent sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmias.