Defibrillator implant usage questioned

DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Many patients receiving an implantable defibrillator to prevent life-threatening arrhythmias were not good candidates to receive the device, a study suggests.

Researchers at Duke University said that of 111,000 patients who received implantable cardioverter-defibrillators between 2006 and 2009, more than 20 percent did not meet evidence-based criteria for receiving the device, CNN reported Wednesday.

ICDs often are implanted as a prevention tactic for patients at high risk for a cardiac arrest or life-threatening arrhythmia but who have not yet displayed any symptoms.

However, a "decision memo" issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says only people having certain serious heart conditions or cardiac histories are suitable candidates for ICDs, and patients must meet numerous other qualifications relating to clinical trials.

The Duke University findings will have "major implications," Dr. Ralph Brindis, president of the American College of Cardiology, said in a statement.

"The study indicates that there are substantial variations among hospital ICD implantation strategies," Brindis said. "This variation clearly demonstrates an opportunity for improvement in care."

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.