Abstract

The Task Force has classified and ranked the usefulness or efficacy of the recommended procedure and/or treatments and the Level of Evidence as indicated in the tables below: Classes of RecommendationsClass I Evidence and/or general agreement that a given diagnostic procedure/treatment is beneficial, useful and effective; Class II Conflicting evidence and/or a divergence of opinion about the usefulness/efficacy of the treatment; Class IIa Weight of evidence/opinion is in favour of usefulness/efficacy; Class IIb Usefulness/efficacy is less well established by evidence/opinion; Class III a Evidence or general agreement that the treatment is not useful/effective and in some cases may be harmful.a Use of Class III is discouraged by the ESC.Levels of Evidence Level of Evidence A Data derived from multiple randomised clinical trials or meta-analyses Level of Evidence B Data derived from a single randomised clinical trial or large non-randomised studies Level of Evidence C Consensus of opinion of the experts and/or small studies, retrospective studies, registries