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Runaway Pacemaker in an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
Author(s) -
CARPENTER CHARLES M.,
GALVIN JOSEPH,
GUY MARY,
McGOVERN BRIAN A.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.193
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1540-8167
pISSN - 1045-3873
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8167.1998.tb00143.x
Subject(s) - medicine , implantable cardioverter defibrillator , complication , thermal runaway , cardiology , artificial cardiac pacemaker , transvenous pacing , power (physics) , physics , battery (electricity) , quantum mechanics
Runaway Pacemaker in an ICD. Introduction : Runaway pacemaker is a potentially catastrophic complication of any permanent pacing system. Methods and Results : A 70‐year‐old man was found to have erratic behavior of his implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) during a routine outpatient interrogation. His device was turned off, and he was hospitalized in preparation for a pulse generator replacement. During his hospitalization, his ICD unexpectedly began pacing rapidly. Despite prompt resuscitation attempts, the patient died. Postmortem examination of the device demonstrated a crystal oscillator failure. Conclusion : A previously unrecognized component malfunction is a potentially lethal complication of ICDs.