Managing cardiac implantable electronic device patients during a health care crisis: Practical guidance

Sunil K Sinha; Bolanle Akinyele; David D Spragg; Joseph E Marine; Ronald Berger; Hugh Calkins; Charles J Love

doi:10.1016/j.hroo.2020.05.005

Managing cardiac implantable electronic device patients during a health care crisis: Practical guidance

Heart Rhythm O2. 2020 Aug;1(3):222-226. doi: 10.1016/j.hroo.2020.05.005. Epub 2020 May 19.

Authors

Sunil K Sinha¹, Bolanle Akinyele¹, David D Spragg¹, Joseph E Marine¹, Ronald Berger¹, Hugh Calkins¹, Charles J Love¹

Affiliation

¹ Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.

Abstract

Our world is faced with a global pandemic that threatens to overwhelm many national health care systems for a prolonged period. Consequently, the elective long-term cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) management of millions of patients is potentially compromised, raising the likelihood of patients experiencing major adverse events owing to loss of CIED therapy. This review gives practical guidance to health care providers to help promptly recognize the requirement for expert consultation for urgent interrogation and/or surgery in CIED patients.

Keywords: Cardiac implantable electronic device; Health care crisis; Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator; Pacemaker; Pandemic.