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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

Automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in Chagas' heart disease patients with malignant ventricular

Augusto Cardinalli-Neto1, Osvaldo T Greco, Reinaldo B Bestetti

  • 1Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital de Base, Sâo José do Rio Preto Medical School, São José do Rio Preto city, Brazil.

Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology : PACE
|May 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Patients with Chagas

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Chagas' disease can lead to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.
  • Automatic cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are used to manage these arrhythmias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the arrhythmogenic profile of Chagas' disease patients who received ICDs.
  • To analyze the delivered antiarrhythmic therapy and outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective longitudinal study of 46 Chagas' disease patients with ICDs implanted between 1998 and 2004.
  • Analysis of arrhythmia types, ICD therapies, and time to first shock.
  • Echocardiography data reviewed for left ventricular function.

Main Results:

  • 91% of patients had been resuscitated from cardiac arrest.
  • 15% of patients with echocardiography had no left ventricular function.
  • Ventricular fibrillation (32%) and ventricular tachycardia (29%) were primary causes for ICD shocks.
  • Median time to first shock was 16 days.
  • Probability of freedom from device discharge was low at 360 days (9%).

Conclusions:

  • Chagas' heart disease patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest exhibit a distinct arrhythmogenic profile.
  • High incidence of ventricular fibrillation and rapid onset of shocks are characteristic.
  • Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is not a prerequisite for these arrhythmias.

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