Disparity in use of implantable devices to prevent sudden death in heart failure patients

A study of heart failure patients who meet national guidelines for devices that stabilize and strengthen the heart's electrical system found that only half of eligible patients received the devices. The study, which is the first to examine the management of heart failure patients in outpatient cardiology practices throughout the United States, also found wide, unexplained variations in the use of the devices, known as implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). The study is published in the December 2009 issue of the journal HeartRhythm.

Read the whole article on Physorg

More from Physorg