Is there a need for routine testing of ICD defibrillation capacity?: Results from more than 1000 studies

Aims Benefits and complications of postoperative implant-Conclusions Our experience demonstrates that postoperative implantable cardioverter-defibrillator tests are controversial operative tests of the defibrillation function of implantable matters. This study sought to assess the necessity of cardioverter-defibrillators rarely reveal dysfunctions. As defibrillation function tests after implantation. testing is unpleasant for the patient and not free of complications, rests might be restricted to those patients in whom Methods and Results We retrospectively analysed 1007 a dysfunction is suspected and to those patients in whom implantable cardioverter-defibrillator tests in 587 systems class I or class III antiarrhythmic drugs have been added to and 556 patients. Nine hundred and thirty implantable the antiarrhythmic drug regimen. cardioverter-defibrillator tests (89.4%) were routinely performed. Seventy-one tests (7%) were performed after a change in the antiarrhythmic drug regimen and six tests (0.60%) because of a suspected dysfunction of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. during routine tests. four systems (0.4%) failed to defibrillate the patient. However. in all but one lest. abnormalities of the system had been observed before the test. After the addition of antiarrhythmic drugs, two of 71 implantable cardioverter-defibrillator systems (2.8%) failed to defibrillate the patient. One of six systems tested due to a suspected dysfunction failed to defibrillate the patient. During 16 tests (1.6%). complications occurred. Conclusions Our experience demonstrates that postoperative tests of the defibrillation function of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators rarely reveal dysfunctions. As testing is unpleasant for the patient and not free of complications, tests might be restricted to those patients in whom a dysfunction is suspected and to those patients in whom class I or class III anntiarrhytmic drugs have been added to the antiarrhythmic drug regimen.