Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shock: Appropriate or Inappropriate?

Minimizing inappropriate or "unnecessary" implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks: appropriate programming.

Life-saving shocks are the raisons d’être of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Paradoxically, shocks also cause much of the morbidity associated with ICDs. Consistently, shocks reduce quality of life,1,2 and rarely, they may cause proarrhythmia.3,4 Additionally, shocks have been reported to be associated with excess mortality.5 Experts disagree about whether shocks are responsible...

Inappropriate Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shocks

Results A total of 1,544 ICD patients (79% male, age 61 13 years) were included in the analysis. During the follow-up period of 41 18 months, 13% experienced 1 inappropriate shocks. The cumulative incidence steadily increased to 18% at 5-year follow-up. Independent predictors of the occurrence of inappropriate shocks included a history of atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.0, p 0.01) and...

Twiddler syndrome causing an inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock.

Yang S, Bailleul C, Morillo CA, Carlson M, Themeles E, Kaufman ES, Hohnloser SH. Subclinical atrial fibrillation and the risk of stroke. N Engl J Med 2012;366:120–129. 14. Allison PD. Survival Analysis Using the SAS: A Practical Guide. 1st ed. Gary, NC: SAS Institute Inc., 1995. 15. Lamas G.Howmuchatrial fibrillation is too muchatrial fibrillation?N Engl JMed 2012; 366:178–180. 16. Hindricks G,...

Advances in Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Minimizing Inappropriate or “Unnecessary” Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shocks Appropriate Programming

Life-saving shocks are the raisons d’être of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Paradoxically, shocks also cause much of the morbidity associated with ICDs. Consistently, shocks reduce quality of life,1,2 and rarely, they may cause proarrhythmia.3,4 Additionally, shocks have been reported to be associated with excess mortality.5 Experts disagree about whether shocks are responsible...

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator avoids shock during electrocution.