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

Published on: February 28, 2012

Ethical considerations for discontinuing pacemakers and automatic implantable cardiac defibrillators at the

Cynthiane J Morgenweck1

  • 1Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Institute for Health and Society, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, USA. cmorg@mcw.edu

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
|February 14, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Physicians should discuss deactivating intracardiac devices, like defibrillators, with patients. Understanding ethical device removal and patient wishes is crucial for informed decision-making.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Ethics
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Increasing use of intracardiac devices has led to greater awareness of patient burdens, particularly defibrillator shocks.
  • Patient requests for device deactivation and physician reluctance highlight a need for ethical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To update physicians on the ethical considerations surrounding the deactivation and removal of intracardiac devices.
  • To address the growing need for clarity on device deactivation protocols.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature and guidelines on intracardiac device deactivation.
  • Analysis of patient and physician perspectives on device deactivation.

Main Results:

  • The American Heart Rhythm Society has issued a consensus statement on the ethical removal of intracardiac devices.
  • Surveys reveal significant misunderstandings among patients and physicians regarding device deactivation.

Conclusions:

  • Physicians should proactively initiate conversations about deactivation, ideally during device implantation.
  • Sharing case studies can improve physician guidance for patients and families.
  • Institutions should establish clear guidelines for intracardiac device deactivation.
Abstract

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