TY - JOUR T1 - An implantable cardioverter defibrillator but not amiodarone reduced risk of death in congestive heart failure JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 109 LP - 109 DO - 10.1136/ebm.10.4.109 VL - 10 IS - 4 A2 - , Y1 - 2005/08/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/10/4/109.abstract N2 - Bardy GH, Lee KL, Mark DB, et al. Amiodarone or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med 2005;352:225–37.OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science 
 
 Q In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), does amiodarone or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) reduce all cause mortality more than placebo? Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★★☆ Cardiology ★★★★★★☆ Design: randomised placebo controlled trial (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial [SCD-HeFT]). Allocation: concealed.* Blinding: blinded (clinicians and patients).* Follow-up period: median 46 months. Setting: 145 centres in Canada and the US. Patients: 2521 patients who were ⩾18 years of age (median age 60 y, 77% men) with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III chronic, stable CHF from ischaemic causes (left ventricular systolic dysfunction [LVSD] with marked coronary artery stenosis or documented myocardial infarction) or non-ischaemic causes (LVSD without marked stenosis); and an LV ejection fraction <35%. Intervention: amiodarone (loading dose of 800 mg daily for 1 wk, 400 mg daily for 3 wks, then a … ER -