The automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: technology for preventing sudden cardiac death.

Sudden cardiac death is caused by a malignant heart rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation. The automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) is a device that recognizes this rhythm and converts it to a normal sinus rhythm by delivering an electrical shock directly to the heart. This article reviews the technology and clinical status of AICD technology, and the ongoing research into techniques for detecting malignant arrhythmias.