Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

The use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is an effective treatment strategy for patients with aborted sudden death (SCD) and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Primary prevention of SCD is a strategy involving the use of ICDs in who are at high risk for but who have not had any previous events of ventricular arrhythmias or cardiac arrest. Cardiac therapy (CRT) improves symptoms of heart failure and left ventricular systolic function when used in patients severe heart failure symptoms, reduced left ventricular ejection, and a wide QRS complex. CRT has also been proven to reduce rate of hospitalization due to heart failure as well as the rate of death from any cause. In this review, we discuss the clinical trials current clinical indications for the ICD and CRT.