Lavergne T, Daubert J C, Chauvin M, Dolla E, Kacet S, Leenhardt A, Mabo P, Ritter P, Sadoul N, Saoudi N, Henry C, Nitzsche R, Ripart A, Murgatroyd F
Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France.
Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 1997 Jan;20(1 Pt 2):182-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1997.tb04839.x.
The lack of specificity of VT detection is a significant shortcoming of current ICDs. In a French multicenter study, 18 patients underwent implantation of the Defender 9001 (ELA Medical), an ICD utilizing dual chamber pacing and arrhythmia detection. Over a mean follow-up period of 7.1 +/- 4.5 months, 176 tachycardia episodes recorded in the device memory were analyzed, and physician diagnosis was compared with that by the device. All 122 VT/VF episodes were correctly diagnosed, as were 51 of 53 supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. Two episodes of AF with rapid regular ventricular rates were treated as VT, and a third episode, treated as VT, could not be diagnosed with certainty. A dual chamber pacemaker defibrillator offers improved diagnostic specificity without loss of sensitivity, in addition to the hemodynamic benefit of dual chamber pacing.
