Who is a candidate for an AICD?
Today’s candidates for an AICD fall into three categories. The first is someone who has recurrent ventricular tachycardia that is poorly controlled by drugs. A second group is those patients who have survived ventricular fibrillation but have not had an acute heart attack. Such people are at high risk for another episode of ventricular fibrillation. Into the third group fall certain people who have structural defects of their heart. These defects include massive dilation or excessive thickening of the heart muscle. Some of these patients are at high risk for arrhythmias and testing can indicate that an implantable defibrillator is the therapy of choice. Prior to implantation of an AICD, a sophisticated test called an electrophysiological study (EPS) may be performed. This procedure measures the vulnerability of the heart for a potentially fatal event. It is used to help decide whether to use an AICD or whether to use drugs for treatment. The newer AICD units can be implanted without ma
