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Implantable cardioverter defibrillator: a review
1Department of Nursing, Veterans Administration Medical Center, West Haven, CT 06516.
Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) affects hundreds of thousands annually, often due to ventricular fibrillation. For patients resistant to drugs or surgery, implantable cardioverter defibrillators offer a life-saving treatment option.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for a significant number of annual fatalities, ranging from 400,000 to 450,000.
- Ventricular arrhythmias, primarily ventricular fibrillation (VF) or sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) leading to VF, are the main causes of SCD.
- Current treatments like antiarrhythmic drugs and surgery are insufficient for a subset of patients experiencing these arrhythmias.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the prevalence and primary causes of sudden cardiac death.
- To discuss the limitations of conventional treatments for ventricular arrhythmias.
- To introduce the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) as a therapeutic option for refractory cases.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on sudden cardiac death and ventricular arrhythmias.
- Analysis of the efficacy and limitations of current therapeutic approaches.
- Examination of the role of implantable cardioverter defibrillators in managing resistant ventricular arrhythmias.
Main Results:
- Sudden cardiac death is a major health concern with high mortality.
- A portion of patients with ventricular arrhythmias do not respond adequately to antiarrhythmic drugs or surgical interventions.
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) provide a viable alternative for patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias resistant to standard treatments.
Conclusions:
- Ventricular arrhythmias remain a primary driver of sudden cardiac death.
- There is a critical need for advanced therapeutic strategies beyond conventional methods.
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillators represent a significant advancement in managing patients at risk of sudden cardiac death due to refractory ventricular arrhythmias.