Concurrent use of a wearable automated defibrillator and a unipolar pacemaker led to a fatal failure to recognize ventricular tachycardia due to large pacing artifacts.
Case Report (n=1)
Highlights a critical, fatal interaction between wearable automated defibrillators and unipolar pacemakers where pacing artifacts prevent ventricular tachycardia recognition.
We report a fatal device-device interaction between a wearable automated defibrillator (WAD; LifeVest - LifeCor, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA) and a unipolar pacemaker that occurred in an 18-year-old patient listed for cardiac transplantation due to his failing Fontan. The patient developed ventricular tachycardia that was initially detected by the WAD. However, large unipolar pacing artifacts and specific WAD arrhythmia detection algorithms caused the WAD to revert to nonrecognition of the arrhythmia, which lead to the patient's death. We identify likely causes of the failure and suggest methods of preventing such occurrences in the future.
LaPage et al. (Tue,) conducted a case report in Failing Fontan (n=1). Concurrent use of wearable automated defibrillator and unipolar pacemaker was evaluated on Fatal device-device interaction (nonrecognition of ventricular tachycardia). Concurrent use of a wearable automated defibrillator and a unipolar pacemaker led to a fatal failure to recognize ventricular tachycardia due to large pacing artifacts.