Telemetry-documented, pace-terminable ventricular tachycardia in patients with ventricular fibrillation

The follow-up prevalence of electrogram-confirmed spontaneous ventricular tachycardia with a cycle length of >280 ms (53%) exceeds the prevalence of ventricular fibrillation (23%) in patients whose only spontaneous arrhythmia before implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation was ventricular fibrillation. Antitachycardia pacing therapy safely terminates most (89%) of these slower ventricular tachycardia episodes, recommending the use of tiered-therapy devices and anticipatory activation of ventricular tachycardia detection and treatment algorithms for ventricular fibrillation patients who receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.