As more patients have pacemakers and internal cardioverter defibrillators implanted, and live longer with these and other life-extending therapies, the utility of these devices and the potential for malfunction become meaningful to physicians. This article presents a basic understanding of the reasons for implantation, how the devices function, and what to do to help improve patient care if a problem occurs.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1252, USA. james.neuenschwander@osumc.edu
Heart Fail Clin. 2009 Jan 1; 5 (1): 63-73, vi-vii.
AbstractAs more patients have pacemakers and internal cardioverter defibrillators implanted, and live longer with these and other life-extending therapies, the utility of these devices and the potential for malfunction become meaningful to physicians. This article presents a basic understanding of the reasons for implantation, how the devices function, and what to do to help improve patient care if a problem occurs.