Ventricular arrhythmias. When should they be suppressed?

Patients with asymptomatic ventricular premature complexes who do not have evidence of heart disease should not be treated with either class I or class III (Vaughan Williams) antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients who are symptomatic may be given beta blockers. In patients who have heart disease, a number of risk factors may play a part, and the decision regarding therapy is more difficult. However, symptomatic patients with either sustained or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia must be treated with antiarrhythmic agents. In some patients, implantation of an automatic defibrillator may be necessary.