Issue Briefs
Date of this Version
6-2008
Abstract
Much of the public was introduced to the implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD) when Vice President Cheney, a survivor of four heart attacks, received the device in 2001. Although ICDs were initially limited to patients with previous cardiac arrests or arrhythmias, more recent studies have demonstrated that ICDs can prevent sudden cardiac death in patients who have not had a cardiac arrest, but are at greater risk for one (for example, those with congestive heart failure and reduced cardiac function). This Issue Brief summarizes studies that analyze health outcomes, costs, and quality of life for patients-at-risk who receive ICDs in real-life settings.
Document Type
Brief
Volume
13
Number
6
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
View On LDI Website
http://ldi.upenn.edu/policy/issue-briefs/2008/06/27/preventing-sudden-death-implantable-cardioverter-defibrillators-in-elderly-cardiac-patients
Date Posted: 09 December 2016