Innovative Approaches to Arrhythmic Storm: The Growing Role of Interventional Procedures

Arrhythmic or electrical storm (AES) is a clinical condition characterized by 3 or more sustained ventricular arrhythmia episodes leading to appropriate device therapy in a 24-hour period and is associated with very high mortality. The clinical presentation is dramatic, and the management remains challenging. Although pharmacologic treatment and sedation are still part of the initial treatment, newer approaches that include ablation (endocardial, epicardial, or alternative procedures), sympathetic blockade (pharmacologic or by interventional sympathetic denervation), and mechanical hemodynamic support are used increasingly in this setting. In this article we review the current technologies at our disposal clinically to treat AES.