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Cardioverter-defibrillator is a device designed for people with serious heart diseases. It prevents death by sending out electrical pulses when an arrhythmia attack begins. This device will be implanted in Christian Eriksen, who collapsed during a match against Finland.
- Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in a match against Finland. He was saved and after resuscitation he was taken to hospital
- To prevent the effects of subsequent arrhythmia attacks, doctors decided that Eriksen would have a cardioverter-defibrillator implanted.
- What is this device? Will Eriksen be able to return to competitive sport?
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Cardioverter defibrillator – how does it work?
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an implantable medical device designed to terminate a life-threatening arrhythmia and restore the heart’s sinus rhythm. The device does not protect against arrhythmia, it only protects the patient against its effects, i.e. ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, which may lead to death.
A cardioverter defibrillator is not a pacemaker. This is a more complicated device, although it also has a pacemaker function to prevent the heart from going too slowly.
How does the ICD work? When ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation occurs, the patient feels very weak and may even pass out. The cardioverter’s task is to send an electrical impulse in such a situation to terminate the arrhythmia. The impulse may be in the form of a defibrillation, then the patient feels a shock to the whole body. It may also be anti-tachyarrhythmic stimulation which is not felt.
The indications for ICD implantation are primary or secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death. In the case of Eriksen, we are dealing with secondary prevention, because the footballer has had an episode of cardiac arrest and resuscitation.
Primary prevention is for patients who have not had any episode of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, but their heart disease increases the risk of arrhythmias.
Cardioverter-defibrillator – what it looks like
The creator of the ICD is a doctor of Polish origin, Mieczysław (Michel) Mirowski. The cardioverter defibrillator is the size of a matchbox, about 8 mm thick. It consists of a can containing a minicomputer (electric pulse generator) and a battery and electrodes or defibrillation electrodes that run from the battery to the heart muscle.
- Eriksen was not the only one. Why do young, athletic footballers suffer a heart attack?
Initially, the device was implanted in the chest by cardiologists. Currently, the electrode is inserted through the veins into the cavities of the right heart, and the can is implanted subcutaneously under the left collarbone.
The cardioverter battery lasts 4 – 5 years, its condition should be checked every few months and any episodes of arrhythmia should be recorded.
What does an ICD implantation look like?
The ICD implantation procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Then the patient is subjected to general anesthesia, then the attending physician determines the so-called ECG. the detection threshold, i.e. the upper limit of the heart rate parameters, when it is functioning properly, and when exceeding them, it means arrhythmia.
The standards are selected individually for each patient – they are different for an active athlete, different for an active young person, and still different for an older person.
- Eriksen had a heart attack as a 29-year-old. What do Polish 30-year-olds suffer from? [WE CHECK]
A few days after implantation, an exercise test is performed, which helps to detect possible disturbances in the ICD and to fine-tune the device. After seven days, it is required to check the defibrillation threshold and check the device operation every few months.
What after the implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator? Can I play sports?
American cardiologists recommend that after implanting a cardioverter-defibrillator, athletes limit team games and other sports with significant dynamic and static loads. Football, next to, among others long-distance running, cross-country skiing and badminton are disciplines with a high dynamic load. High static load, in turn, concerns, among others javelin throwing, climbing, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing and gymnastics.
In turn, the European guidelines say that athletes with serious heart ailments and implanted ICDs end their professional sports careers.
- Eriksen’s reanimation took forever. It could have ended in brain death
The implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator is not an obstacle to driving, but in the case of secondary prevention, it is recommended to sit behind the wheel only three months after the procedure.
Some time ago, a mathematical formula was developed that allowed to estimate that the annual risk of harm to other road participants by a driver with a cardioverter-defibrillator is not higher than 0,005%. However, it does not apply to professional drivers. They are at greater risk because of the time they spend behind the wheel. Therefore, people with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator cannot be professional drivers.
Also read:
- Symptoms of heart problems that we tend to downplay
- Instead of going to the hospital, women wait for it to pass
- The seven worst heart conditions in adults
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