[Ventricular arrhythmias: diagnosis and drug therapy]

After a brief classification of antiarrhythmic drugs and their mode of action, ventricular dysrhythmias are defined and characterized with respect to underlying causes. A short chapter is dedicated to the treatment of acute ventricular tachycardia, a longer one to the prophylaxis of ventricular dysrhythmias, based on our knowledge in the "post CAST Study era' (CAST = Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial). A special interest is dedicated to patients commonly encountered in daily practise: patients with coronary artery disease, patients with chronic heart failure, and patients without underlying heart disease. Then a separate assessment is made of the proarrhythmic effects of antiarrhythmic drugs.