A lifesaving electric shock!

Do you know a small device can save you from sudden cardiac death?

Today is Sabina’s first day in high school. Looking at his daughter Sabina smilingly waving back from the school gate, Mr. Bashir Khan* went back to the day nine months earlier. Mr. Khan was getting prepared to go to his office in the morning when he suddenly fainted. Prior to this he was having episodes of rapid heart beat (palpitation), shortness of breath and dizziness. Mr. Khan was immediately taken to a renowned hospital emergency department. Cardiologists examined him and diagnosed him to be a case of Ventricular Tachycardia (VT).

Ventricular Tachycardia is a condition where the lower chambers of heart (Ventricles) pump at a very high rate of more than 300 each minute hence heart fails to pump enough blood to supply to vital organs like brain, leading to fainting episodes. Ventricular Tachycardia can lead to Sudden Cardiac Death when heart completely fails to pump blood and stops beating.

Cardiologists put a small device under the skin of left upper chest of Mr. Khan, just below his collar bone. It was a short and simple procedure of approx 1 hour, performed in hospital Cath Lab under local anaesthesia. It was a small battery powered device called Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) as small as a MP3 player; this device keeps track of heart rate. Thin wires connect the ICD to heart. If an abnormal heart rhythm is detected the device will deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat to stop the heart from beating chaotically and much too fast.

ICDs can prevent Sudden Cardiac Death. Many people with underlying condition such as heart failure or family history of heart disease or those having a weak and diseased heart with a pumping ability of less than thirty percent, may benefit from having an ICD implanted.

If you are one of those people, you should consult specialist Cardiologists at a renowned super specialty hospital that performs this procedure frequently. Act before it is too late!