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A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
16:40

A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation

Published on: February 28, 2012

Indications for and long-term survival in patients with automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators

Wilbert S Aronow1, Carmine Sorbera, Anil Chagarlamudi

  • 1From the Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York.

Cardiology in Review
|December 15, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICDs) show good survival rates across various patient groups. These devices offer significant long-term benefits for individuals at risk of sudden cardiac death.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Medical Devices

Background:

  • Sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a significant cause of mortality.
  • Automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICDs) are crucial in preventing SCD.
  • Patient selection for AICD implantation is based on various risk factors and underlying cardiac conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term survival rates of patients implanted with AICDs.
  • To assess the efficacy of AICDs in different patient cohorts defined by the indication for implantation.
  • To provide real-world data on AICD outcomes in a diverse patient population.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 473 patients (378 men, 95 women) who received AICD implantation.
  • Patients were categorized based on the primary indication for AICD: cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia, spontaneous sustained ventricular tachycardia with structural heart disease, syncope with inducible ventricular arrhythmias, or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia with coronary artery disease and inducible arrhythmias.
  • Survival data was collected at a mean follow-up of 3.6 years.

Main Results:

  • Overall survival at 3.6 years was 85% for all 473 patients.
  • Survival rates varied by indication: 76% for cardiac arrest, 85% for spontaneous sustained VT with structural heart disease, 92% for syncope with inducible VT/VF, and 84% for nonsustained VT with CAD and inducible VT/VF.
  • The study included patients with a mean age of 69 +/- 12 years.

Conclusions:

  • AICD implantation is associated with favorable long-term survival across a spectrum of cardiac conditions.
  • The effectiveness of AICDs is demonstrated in patients with high risk for sudden cardiac death, including those with ventricular arrhythmias.
  • These findings support the continued use of AICDs for primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death in appropriate patient populations.

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