Key result
Only 24% of Japanese patients with end-stage heart failure underwent deactivation of ICD therapy before death, and 27% experienced ICD shocks within 1 month of death.
Why the study?
ICD shocks cause pain and distress contrary to palliative care goals, but predicting the clinical trajectory in heart failure is difficult, and ICD deactivation status in Japanese patients with end-stage HF needed evaluation.
Observational (n=51)
No
A significant proportion of Japanese patients with end-stage heart failure do not undergo ICD deactivation before death, leading to a high frequency of painful shocks at the end of life.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Low ICD deactivation rates in end-stage HF signal need for earlier palliative discussions; leaves open optimal timing and barriers in similar cohorts.
Nakazawa et al. (2020) conducted an observational in End-stage heart failure (n=51). Deactivation of ICD therapy was evaluated on Deactivation of ICD therapy before death. Only 24% of Japanese patients with end-stage heart failure underwent deactivation of ICD therapy before death, and 27% experienced ICD shocks within 1 month of death.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: