title: The patient with an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in the United States. A relatively new technology used to treat ventricular dysrhythmias that lead to sudden cardiac death is the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This device uses patches on the heart to deliver an energy current to convert lethal dysrhythmias. The nurse practitioner can expect to encounter these devices when seeing patients for a variety of diagnoses. This article will serve as a resource for clinical management and patient education.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Boley
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sagehorn
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Curtis
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D010353:Patient Education as Topic