Implantable cardiac defibrillator, a device that is put within the
body and is designed to recognize certain types of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
and correct them.
D efibrillators continuously monitor the heart rhythm in order to detect overly
rapid arrhythmias such as
Ventricular tachycardia (rapid regular beating of the ventricles, the bottom
chambers of the heart); and
Ventricular fibrillation (rapid irregular beating of the ventricles).
These ventricular arrhythmias impair the pumping efficiency of the heart and
greatly raise the risks of fainting (syncope) and sudden cardiac arrest. They tend
to develop in people with coronary artery disease or heart muscle diseases (cardiomyopathies).
They are life- threatening.
A defibrillator can be implanted within the body by far less invasive techniques
than in the past because the devices, aside from being more technologically advanced,
are smaller. (An implantable defibrillator is about the size of a pager).
The defibrillator corrects the heart rhythm by delivering precisely calibrated
and timed electrical shocks, when needed, to restore a normal heartbeat.
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