BASIS FOR RECURRING VENTRICULAR-FIBRILLATION IN ABSENCE OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE AND ITS MANAGEMENT

A 39 yr old man twice experienced ventricular fibrillation and exhibited numerous ventricular premature beats. Coronary arteries were normal, and no impaired cardiac function was found upon catheterization. Evidence was adduced that the ventricular premature beats were related to higher nervous activity. The patient had serious psychiatric problems; the ventricular premature beats were provoked by psychophysiologic stress, increased during rapid eye movement sleep, were reduced by meditation, and were controlled by .beta.-adrenergic blockade, phenytoin and digitalization. Psychologic and neurophysiologic factors may predispose to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia in the absence of organic heart disease. Effective management of the recurrent ventricular arrhythmia involved: acute drug testing for assessing antiarrhythmic efficacy; use of programmed trendscription to provide on-line information on drug action; a treatment program involving more than 1 agent; and use of measures to reduce sympathetic nervous activity.