Internal Defibrillators Can Reduce Heart Failure By 40%

New guidelines have emerged from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (more commonly known as NICE) meaning that more patients who suffer from potentially fatal heart conditions will now be eligible to have internal defibrillators fitted. The association of British Healthcare Industries has estimated that the change could cut death from heart failure by up to 40 per cent nationwide.

Up until this point, patients have been receiving preventive treatment measures such as beta-blockers - however it has been well noted that these will not help a patient if any abnormal heart activity occurs, they only regulate heart activity to begin with.

Before the new guideline was put in place, those eligible for the devices were patients who have suffered from ventricular tachycardia, a leading cause of cardiac death. The treasurer for the British Society of Heart Failure stated

‘There have been many clinical trials over the past five or six years that have demonstrated this will save lives,’

The devices are miniature versions of regular defibrillators, and will be placed under the skin with wires connected to the heart. When an irregular heartbeat occurs the device will deliver an electric shock to return the heartbeat to normal.