Review of implantable defibrillator therapy

Abstract

The automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) is a battery-powered, implantable device intended to prevent the sudden cardiac death (SCD) syndrome. Fully two-thirds of coronary artery disease mortality occurs by means of this mechanism. It also occurs in heart disease of other etiologies as well. The problem is of epidemic proportions in the developed countries of the world, and claims nearly half a million victims per year in the United States alone, nearly one death per minute [1]. The figures on the Continent are estimated to be similar. All told, there are more victims in any given two-week period from SCD than from the entire acquired immune deficiency epidemic to date.