Two-year survival of patients with ventricular ectopic beats classified according to site of origin of the ectopic beats

We followed 111 patients with ventricular ectopic beats at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, to learn whether prognoses differed according to the site of origin of the extrasystole. The ventricular extrasystoles, as recorded in V₁ and V₆ tracings, were classified according to widely accepted criteria (1-3) as 'left' or 'right'. 'Left' extrasystoles were from the left ventricle and 'right' extrasystoles were from the right ventricle. The two-year fatality rate was not significantly different in the two groups, but among patients aged <65 yr, it was significantly higher in the 'left' extrasystole group. In that group, there was a significantly higher incidence of deaths from cardiovascular causes, and a higher incidence of sudden deaths. We interpret this to mean that patients with 'left' ventricular extrasystoles have a more serious underlying heart condition than those with 'right' ventricular extrasystoles, and that 'left' ventricular extrasystoles are more ominous than 'right' ventricular extrasystoles.