Automatic Cardioverter Defibrillator Implantation Usage

Patients with congestive heart failure are more prone to certain heart arrhythmias that put them at risk for sudden cardiac death. ICDs are implanted in those patients to prevent such arrhythmias...

Read more about Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Automatic Cardioverter Defibrillator Implantation.

Most ICDs have both pacemaker and defibrillator functions. If the heart beats too slowly, the ICD can help the heart beat at a normal pace. If the heart begins to beat in a disorganized way, the...

Read more about Arrhythmias (Heart Rhythm Disturbances) and Automatic Cardioverter Defibrillator Implantation.

Certain heart rhythms are extremely dangerous and can lead to sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest . Some irregular rhythms that may require an ICD implant include:

• Bradycardia —heart beating too slowly

• Ventricular tachycardia —heart beating too rapidly

• Ventricular fibrillation —heart muscle not pumping, but just quivering

ICDs are implanted in patients who:

• Have had one or more episodes of serious arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms)
• Have had a heart attack and at high risk for arrhythmias
• Have a high risk of dangerous arrhythmias
• Have a weakened heart muscle (high risk for dangerous arrhythmias)
• Have a high likelihood of developing an arrhythmia
• Have the condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart muscle that does not function properly)