Pathogenesis of Sudden Unexpected Death in a Clinical Trial of Patients With Myocardial Infarction and Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Heart Failure, or Both

Recurrent MI or cardiac rupture accounts for a high proportion of sudden death in the early period after acute MI, whereas arrhythmic death may be more likely subsequently. These findings may help explain the lack of benefit of early implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.