Benefits of ICD’s in children studied at length
More and more children with congenital heart disease are receiving implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) to maintain proper heart rhythm. ICDs were first introduced for adults in the 1980s, but little is known about how well they work in children, who account for less than 1 percent of recipients. A report in the April 29 Journal of the American College of Cardiology summarizes the largest pediatric experience to date. It finds the devices to be life-saving, but also suggests that they tend to deliver more inappropriate shocks to children than to adults, making it important to watch children with ICDs closely.
Bottom line is we need to carefully monitor children with devices and have more frequent equipment checks. Though an inappropriate shock would be uncomfortable, like a kick in the chest, the benefits out way the risks. ICD’s fire more often inappropriately in children due to the large fluctuations in heart rate compared with adults.
I think that this is a very important subgroup to examine, don’t you?
via Science Daily
Tags: children, heart-disease, icd, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, life savingRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Heart Conditions, Hearty Blogging, Hearty Healthcare, Hearty Info, Hearty Research
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