Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology
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Primary prevention (PP) implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implant rates in the UK are below national targets and barriers to this are not well known. This study was designed to identify the stages along the referral pathway from general to specialist care that eligible patients reach and what proportion eventually receive an ICD. ⋯ Failure to refer from the general physician to cardiology and from the cardiologist to EP is the principle reason for low PP ICD implant rates among eligible patients in the UK.
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To describe obstetric/neonatal and cardiac outcomes for a cohort of women carrying implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) during pregnancy. ⋯ Pregnancy had no effect on ICD operation and no evidence was found to link ICD carriage with adverse pregnancy outcomes, although one miscarriage may have been induced by ICD shock therapy. A worsening of cardiac condition occurs in specific cardiac diseases and β-blocker therapy should be continued for all women carrying ICDs in pregnancy as the benefits outweigh the risks of taking this medication.