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Updated: May 20, 2026

A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Acute hyperkalemia detected by alert from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Vikas Kuriachan1, Usha Tedrow, Elliott Antman
1Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. vikas.kuriachan@albertahealthservices.ca
Abstract:
Two cases of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead impedance changes that corresponded with changes in serum potassium are described. In the first case, an audible lead alert was triggered due to a significant change in lead impedance caused by hyperkalemia. In the second case, a patient was admitted with hyperkalemia and renal failure. Device interrogation revealed a change in lead impedance corresponding to changes in serum potassium. As devices and leads become more sophisticated, their role for monitoring parameters and triggering alerts may expand to include electrolyte and other metabolic changes.
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