Contrary to common belief, heart devices may not always impair the patient's quality of life. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators also called ICDs are devices that sense when the heart is beating too fast or erratically and provide a corrective, potentially life-saving, shock. It is thought that the implantation of such devices can take a toll on the quality of the patient's life. When they generate multiple shocks, the patient may suffer mentally and emotionally. To assess the impact of ICD implantation on the quality of life of patients, researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago analysed the outcomes of a survey conducted on 478 patients of heart disease for a period of 3 years. A variety of standard questionnaires were used to assess quality of life of these patients. The results highlighted that there were no detectable differences in quality of life between patients treated with ICDs and those given standard medical therapy during the 36-month study. However, patients who had received multiple shocks from the device did show impairments in emotional and mental quality of life. In such cases, the physician can programme the device and treat other fast heart beats in a manner that would reduce the number of inappropriate shocks, and offer additional psychological support. Thus, it is important for both the physicians and the patients to know that multiple shocks from ICDs can impact the quality of life.
Archives of Internal Medicine,
November 2007