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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
08:56
Sterile Pericarditis in Aachener Minipigs As a Model for Atrial Myopathy and Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: September 24, 2021
Fatal outcome in a pacemaker-dependent patient
Manish Undavia1, Avi Fischer, Davendra Mehta
1Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York 10029, USA. mundavia@aol.com
Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology : PACE
|April 2, 2009
Summary
Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead fractures caused controversy. A pacemaker-dependent patient died from lead fracture, highlighting limitations in current surveillance methods for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Device Safety
Background:
- Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads have faced scrutiny due to patient management controversies.
- Current guidelines suggest device alerts and lead replacement upon detecting integrity breaches.
Observation:
- A pacemaker-dependent patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy experienced cardiac arrest.
- Postmortem interrogation revealed a fractured Medtronic Sprint Fidelis pace/sense lead.
Findings:
- The patient's death was likely due to the fractured Sprint Fidelis lead.
- Existing surveillance methods for lead integrity have demonstrated significant limitations.
Implications:
- This case underscores the critical need for improved monitoring strategies for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads.
- Re-evaluation of management protocols for patients with compromised leads is warranted to prevent adverse events.
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