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Monday 1 April 2013

How Does An Internal Cardiac Defibrillator Work?

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD is a small device similar to a pacemaker, attached to the heart of a person. People suffering with conditions like arrhythmias are under the constant risk of heart failure. Irregular heartbeats caused by arrhythmias will cause sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) which will lead to stroke or death if it is not treated within a few minutes. ICD's are a boon to people suffering from such heart issues.
The Implanted defibrillator fixed under the skin, will monitor the heartbeat of a person constantly and ensure they are treated immediately if there is any irregularity in the heat beat. The internal defibrillator will be attached to a patient's body via small wires with electrodes. The heart's chambers will be connected to these electrodes enabling them to monitor the electrical impulses as well as the steadiness of the palpitations. ICD will send low-power electrical impulses to the various heart chambers making it work properly again. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD's replicate the exact electrical impulses generated naturally inside our heart when it expands and contracts regularly.

Internal defibrillator devices are important for people who are recovering from surgeries and severe cardiac arrests. They are at a high risk of experiencing arrhythmias. Patients in such vulnerable conditions die before they reach the hospital because the heart does not receive enough stimulation for more than five or ten minutes. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator devices help them live a long life by treating them within minutes of identifying the symbols.

A small metal box with batteries will be attached under the skin. The box will have computer chips and pulse monitors attached to it. The heart's rhythmic beats and electrical activity is kept under constant surveillance by this implanted defibrillator. The record of this electrical activity occurring in the heart is important for any doctor to determine the condition of the patient.

The Implantable cardioverter defibrillator devices can be programmed to respond according to the heartbeat of the severity of the arrhythmia. Stronger electrical pulses are usually painful but useful in keeping the patient alive until they reach the hospital. Most of the implanted defibrillator devices are capable of adjusting themselves according to the situation of the patient automatically.

Modern machines are capable of recording ECG, monitoring the respiration, temperature of the body, pulse range and several other technical details necessary for a physician to work on the patient immediately. This small device is capable of giving electrical shocks ranging up to 360 joules depending upon the heartbeat of the patient. Such immense shocks are usually painful and administered only in rare conditions.

The cost of the implantable cordioverter defibrillator and the pacemakers are more or less the same. But implanted defibrillator devices do more work than the pacemakers. In fact internal defibrillator devices double as pacemakers too in addition to performing various other functions. The device does not cause side effects and is capable of working for several years without causing any complications. ICD's are indeed one of the best inventions of the modern medical science used to save hundreds of lives every year.

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