title: Failure of defibrillator paddle as mimic for subcutaneous patch lead during nonthoracotomy implantable cardioverter defibrillator lead configuration assessment.
abstract: It is a common, although virtually unsubstantiated, practice to assess the efficacy of nonthoracotomy lead systems for implantable cardioverter defibrillators using a defibrillator paddle as mimic for the subcutaneous patch lead. We report a case in which an adequate defibrillation threshold was documented with the nonthoracotomy lead system using a defibrillator paddle but not following implantation of the true subcutaneous patch lead. This case suggests that the substitution of a defibrillator paddle for the subcutaneous patch lead during nonthoracotomy lead system evaluation may have significant limitations in assessing lead configuration efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Pachulski
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Kleiman
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Marchlinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D013908:Thoracotomy