Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators
Cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIEDs) refer to implanted devices that deliver therapeutic electrical stimuli and include permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Electrical therapy for cardiac arrhythmias includes low-voltage (typically 1 to 5 V) pacing stimuli (pulses) and high-voltage (typically 500 to 1400 V) stimuli (shocks). Pacemakers deliver pacing pulses to treat bradycardia. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) deliver shocks to defibrillate ventricular fibrillation (VF) or to cardiovert ventricular tachycardia (VT). ICDs also have antibradycardia pacing functions that can deliver pacing pulses to treat bradycardia, as well as antitachycardia pacing functions that can deliver sequences of rapid pacing pulses to treat ventricular or atrial tachyarrhythmias. Pacemakers or ICDs that provide cardiac resynchronization therapy are discussed in another chapter. This chapter covers antiarrhythmic electrical therapy delivered by CIEDs.
