Sudden cardiac death can usually be attributed to the occurrence of the cardiac arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation. Although a significant proportion of patients experiencing sudden cardiac death may be successfully resuscitated without disabling sequelae, this event tends to recur. Recurrent sudden cardiac death is more common among patients demonstrating certain clinical characteristics such as: ventricular fibrillation occurring in a setting of a remote prior transmural infarction; the presence of abnormal left ventricular function; male gender; concurrent complex ventricular arrhythmias identified by electrocardiographic monitoring; extensive coronary artery disease; and the ability to induce ventricular arrhythmias following electrical stimulation.