Utilization of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in survivors of cardiac arrest in the United States from 1996 to 2001.

OBJECTIVES

We analyzed the incidence of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in survivors of cardiac arrest (CA) in the U.S. from 1996 through 2001.

BACKGROUND

Cardiac arrest is a class I indication for ICD therapy. The current patterns of ICD utilization in survivors of CA have not been fully examined.

METHODS

We searched a representative sample of all hospital discharges for patients admitted with the primary diagnosis of CA who survived to hospital discharge. Patients with a concomitant diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction or previous ICD in situ were excluded.

RESULTS

From 1996 to 2001, 113,262 patients were admitted for CA. Of those, 63,745 (56.3%) did not survive to hospital discharge. Of the remaining 49,517 patients, 30.7% received an ICD before discharge, with a gradual increase in implantation rates from 1996 (23.6%) to 2001 (46.3%). Using logistic regression for the years 2000 and 2001, patients who were discharged without an ICD were older (odds ratio [OR] 0.93 for every 10-year increase in age, p < 0.001), more likely to be African American (OR 0.19, p < 0.001), and more likely to be admitted to a smaller hospital (OR 2.24 for each additional 100 beds, p < 0.001). These predictors were independent of other co-morbid illnesses.

CONCLUSIONS

Although they are increasing, the rates of ICD therapy after CA remain very low. There are gross discrepancies by race. At a time when newer indications for ICD implantation are emerging, efforts should be focused on identifying the causes of this underutilization and discrepancies in survivors of CA.