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Wearable cardioverter defibrillators in schools: A guide for parents and educators
Author(s) -
Burch Ashley E.,
Spar David S.,
Sears Samuel F.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/pace.13228
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rhythm , sudden cardiac arrest , medical emergency , food and drug administration , sudden cardiac death , implantable cardioverter defibrillator , shock (circulatory) , ventricular fibrillation , intensive care medicine , cardiology
Keeping children safe is a goal for everyone. To stay safe, some children need a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD). WCDs protect individuals who are at risk for life‐threatening arrhythmias. The LifeVest ® (ZOLL, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) is a WCD that identifies, records, and treats potentially life‐threatening abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias. The WCD will provide electrical energy to the heart with up to five high‐energy shocks if a potentially dangerous cardiac arrhythmia is detected. This type of arrhythmia, if not treated within a short time period (less than 2 minutes), can result in disruption of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs (that is, a sudden cardiac arrest), and death can occur within minutes. A shock delivered by the LifeVest can terminate an arrhythmia and restore a normal heart rhythm and blood flow to the body. In December 2015, the Food and Drug Administration approved the LifeVest for patients under 18 years old. The purpose of this guide is to serve as a resource for parents and educators, to promote awareness of the LifeVest, and to answer questions about the safety of the LifeVest in schools.