The runaway defibrillator…A case of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that failed communication and deactivation with a magnet

Case presentation A 60-year-old man presented to our institution’s device clinic for routine evaluation of his ICD. He received his first ICD in 2002 for primary prevention in the setting of ischemic cardiomyopathy. He had had a generator change to a St Jude Medical Fortify Assura VR, model CD1257-40 in September 2012 without any complications. Two months later, he had an interrogation, which showed normal ICD function, normal thresholds, and normal battery status. There were no arrhythmias or therapies delivered.