2012 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 632-635
The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is highly effective in the primary and secondary prevention of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.
With a decrease in the size of the ICD, administration of general anesthesia is not always required for implantation and testing. Rather, local anesthesia and sedation are extensively administered instead.
In either situation, the important steps for anesthesia management during ICD implantation are as follows : 1) evaluating the patient's condition, including parameters such as cardiac function, 2) understanding the disease diagnostics, 3) appropriate sedation and airway management for conducting the test, and 4) performing emergency defibrillation, performing cardioversion, or providing heart rate support to identify potential precipitating causes and triggers.
