Expanding Indications for Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators

Abstract

Almost 250,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States; the majority are attributed to coronary artery disease. About half of these episodes appear to be caused by ventricular tachyarrhythmias in the absence of acute myocardial infarction. With occasional exceptions, secondary prevention in the form of implantable cardiac defibrillators is chosen for survivors of cardiac arrest. More than 95 percent of victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die during the episode, but the few who are quickly resuscitated usually live many additional years if they receive a defibrillator. The extremely low survival rate after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is the motivating . . .