Cardiac Defibrillation

Millions of people throughout the world currently depend on appropriate, timely shocks from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to avoid sudden death due to cardiovascular malfunctions. Therefore, information regarding the use, applications, and clinical relevance of ICDs is imperative for expanding the body of knowledge used to prevent and manage fatal cardiovascular behavior. As such, the apt and timely research contained in this book will prove both relevant to current ICD usage and valuable in helping advance ICD technology. This book is divided into three comprehensive sections in order to cover several areas of ICD research. The first section introduces defibrillator technology, discusses determinants for successful defibrillation, and explores assessments of patients who receive defibrillation. The next section talks about predicting, preventing, and managing near catastrophic cardiovascular events, and research presented in the final section examine special cases in ICD patients and explore information that can be learned through clinical trial examinations of patients with defibrillators. Each chapter of this book will help answer critical questions about ICDs.