Dissecting Defibrillators

By Holly Selby, Chicago Tribune

What you need to know about the devices, including how they work, whom they help and the risks.

Since 1980, when a physician at the Johns Hopkins Hospital first implanted a defibrillator in a human being, doctors have found that the devices can halt sudden cardiac death in many patients whose hearts have weakened pumping ability, as well as for some who have suffered a heart attack.

But a recent study by researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center shows that about half of all patients who meet nationally accepted guidelines for treatment with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, known as ICDs, are not receiving the recommended treatment.

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