Defibrillator

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a small device that's placed in your chest or abdomen. This device uses electrical pulses or shocks to help control life-threatening, irregular heartbeats, especially those that could lead the heart to suddenly stop beating (sudden cardiac arrest). If the heart stops beating, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. This usually causes death if it's not treated in minutes.

Defibrillator Types

Several types of defibrillators are used to deliver electric currents to the heart muscles and correct abnormal and life threatening heart rhyt

Modelling Defibrillation

What is a Defibrillator?

How to use a Defibrillator

Preventive ventricular tachycardia ablation cuts down ICD shocks and hospitalizations

The first randomized trial to investigate preventive ablation of a potential arrhythmogenic substrate associated with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) in patients at high risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) reduces the risk of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy and unplanned hospitalization in patients with no previously recorded VAs.

8 Apr 2024

New cryoablation technique eliminates ventricular tachycardia in 94% of patients

A new technology using ultralow temperature cryoablation (ULTC) has eliminated clinical ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 94% of patients. The late-breaking science is presented at EHRA 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

8 Apr 2024

Public defibrillators rarely used during cardiac arrest incidents, research shows

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are a common resource in public buildings, yet a new analysis reveals that they are rarely used to help resuscitate people suffering cardiac arrest.

28 Mar 2024

AI tool predicts lethal heart rhythm with 80% accuracy

In a Leicester study that looked at whether artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to predict whether a person was at risk of a lethal heart rhythm, an AI tool correctly identified the condition 80 per cent of the time.

28 Mar 2024

Gender differences explored: Cardiovascular health variances in women's lifespan

Women's cardiovascular disease risks and outcomes differ throughout the lifespan from those of men, according to a collection of studies devoted to cardiovascular medicine research focused on women of all ages, published today in a special "spotlight" issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

27 Feb 2024

Drones can save lives by delivering defibrillators in cardiac arrest cases

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have evaluated the possibility of alerting drones equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) to patients with suspected cardiac arrest.

22 Nov 2023

PROFID EHRA trial aims to personalize the prevention of sudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction

The first clinical trial to challenge the routine implantation of a defibrillator in myocardial infarction survivors with heart failure has enrolled its first patient.

21 Nov 2023

Experimental wireless pacemaker harvests energy from heart to recharge battery

By converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, an experimental wireless, or leadless, pacemaker housing is able to partially recharge its battery, according to a proof-of-principle study to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2023.

6 Nov 2023

With its two doctors planning to retire, an Alabama town patches together health care options

Charity Hodge had mixed feelings when she spotted a Facebook post announcing that her longtime primary care doctor was ready to retire after decades of serving their rural community.

19 Sep 2023

CRT-D upgrade reduces morbidity and mortality in HFrEF patients with RV pacing

Upgrade to cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT-D) reduces morbidity and mortality and improves left ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling compared to an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in select patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and intermittent or permanent right ventricular (RV) pacing, according to late breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2023.

28 Aug 2023

PROFID EHRA trial to assess the potential benefit of ICD therapy in myocardial infarction survivors

Is the routine implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in myocardial infarction survivors with heart failure still an adequate therapy for prevention of sudden cardiac death?

28 Aug 2023

New ESC Guidelines on cardiomyopathies published online today

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on cardiomyopathies are published online today in European Heart Journal.

25 Aug 2023

Bystander defibrillation improves 30-day survival even with short ambulance response times

Using a defibrillator for a cardiac arrest victim improves 30-day survival even with ambulance response times as short as two minutes, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2023.

24 Aug 2023

Study finds gap in survival rates for Asian adults after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Despite similar rates of bystander CPR after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Asian adults in the U.S. have lower rates of survival than white adults, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Jul 2023

Research shows redlining's long-term impact on cardiovascular health of Black adults

The risk of heart failure in the present day was higher among Black adults who lived in U.S. zip codes historically impacted by redlining, according to research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

17 Jul 2023

Black patients with ICDs have higher rate of post-implant cardiac events and risk of death

Black patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have a significantly higher burden of disease than white patients with the same device, according to a new study from University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) cardiology researchers.

17 Jul 2023

Patients affected by depression more likely to stop taking their heart medications

Patients who feel low when having a cardiac device implanted are more likely to stop taking their heart medications than those without depression, according to research presented today at ACNAP 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology.

25 Jun 2023

Heart Foundation-funded research aims to better treat life-threatening arrhythmias

New research funded by the Heart Foundation aims to boost surgery success rates for life-threatening heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias), leading to fewer Australians needing defibrillators installed in their chests.

10 Jun 2023

Study: Only 50% of athletes can identify sudden cardiac arrest or provide CPR

It is well known that early resuscitation with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an automated external defibrillator (AED) saves lives, and in most sports-related sudden cardiac arrest events, trainers or medical personnel respond and initiate protocols to resuscitate a player while other athletes standby.

8 Jun 2023

New scientific statement details treatment strategies for pediatric cardiomyopathy

Treating children with cardiomyopathy should be personalized based on the root cause, symptoms and progression of the condition in each child , according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

8 Jun 2023

Defibrillator

Overview

Modelling Defibrillation

What is a Defibrillator?

How to use a Defibrillator

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

Preventive ventricular tachycardia ablation cuts down ICD shocks and hospitalizations

New cryoablation technique eliminates ventricular tachycardia in 94% of patients

Public defibrillators rarely used during cardiac arrest incidents, research shows

AI tool predicts lethal heart rhythm with 80% accuracy

Gender differences explored: Cardiovascular health variances in women's lifespan

Drones can save lives by delivering defibrillators in cardiac arrest cases

PROFID EHRA trial aims to personalize the prevention of sudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction

Experimental wireless pacemaker harvests energy from heart to recharge battery

With its two doctors planning to retire, an Alabama town patches together health care options

CRT-D upgrade reduces morbidity and mortality in HFrEF patients with RV pacing

PROFID EHRA trial to assess the potential benefit of ICD therapy in myocardial infarction survivors

New ESC Guidelines on cardiomyopathies published online today

Bystander defibrillation improves 30-day survival even with short ambulance response times

Study finds gap in survival rates for Asian adults after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Research shows redlining's long-term impact on cardiovascular health of Black adults

Black patients with ICDs have higher rate of post-implant cardiac events and risk of death

Patients affected by depression more likely to stop taking their heart medications

Heart Foundation-funded research aims to better treat life-threatening arrhythmias

Study: Only 50% of athletes can identify sudden cardiac arrest or provide CPR

New scientific statement details treatment strategies for pediatric cardiomyopathy

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Defibrillator

Overview

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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