Deactivating Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Letters1 November 2005Deactivating Implantable Cardioverter DefibrillatorsJoanne Lynn, MDJoanne Lynn, MDFrom RAND Health, Arlington, VA 22202.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-9-200511010-00017 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The need to discontinue use of an ICD is not an occasional consideration; it is a predictable part of the course of dying for any patient with an ICD who will die a natural death. With demographic analysis now showing that more than 80% of Americans die while covered by Medicare (elderly or disabled) and 90% live with serious chronic illnesses for many months before dying, recipients of ICDs will routinely be better served if they avoid the discomfort and disruption of having shocks while dying.One obvious ethical response is that patients should be aware at ...Reference1. Berger JT. The ethics of deactivating implanted cardioverter defibrillators. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:631-4. [PMID: 15838070] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Joanne Lynn, MDAffiliations: From RAND Health, Arlington, VA 22202.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Ethics of Deactivating Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators Jeffrey T. Berger Deactivating Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Jeffrey T. Berger Deactivating Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Heather M. Ross Deactivating Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators James M. Beattie , Michael J. Connolly , and John E. Ellershaw Metrics 1 November 2005Volume 143, Issue 9Page: 691KeywordsArrhythmiaCaregiversConflicts of interestElderlyImplantable cardioverter defibrillatorsMedicareShock ePublished: 1 November 2005 Issue Published: 1 November 2005 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...