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Updated: May 17, 2026

A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
Published on: February 28, 2012
A single shock during an episode of ventricular tachycardia: is the device working properly?
Jesus Jimenez-Lopez1, Miguel A Arias, Finn Akerstrom
1Cardiac Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Toledo, Spain.
Insights
Emergency department admissions for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks require thorough evaluation. This case highlights an unexpected finding during the analysis of a patient
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Emergency department admissions for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks represent a significant patient cohort.
- Proper evaluation necessitates a review of device system integrity and intracardiac electrogram analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a case of a patient admitted with a single ICD discharge due to sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia.
- To report an unexpected finding during the diagnostic workup of this patient.
Main Methods:
- Review of patient's medical records.
- Analysis of stored intracardiac electrograms from the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
- Clinical assessment of device system integrity.
Main Results:
- The patient experienced a single ICD discharge attributed to sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia.
- An unexpected finding was identified during the electrogram and system integrity review.
Conclusions:
- Evaluation of ICD shocks requires comprehensive analysis of device function and intracardiac recordings.
- Unexpected findings can occur during the assessment of patients presenting with ICD discharges.
Abstract:
Emergency department admissions due to implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks constitute an important patient group. The correct evaluation includes a review of system integrity and a careful analysis of stored intracardiac electrograms. We present a patient admitted with a single ICD discharge due to an episode of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, and an unexpected finding.
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