Arterial embolism complicating implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks with normal ventricular function.
A 69-year-old man developed an embolus to his right femoral artery 24 h following the insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), with multiple shocks administered in the early postoperative period. He had nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with normal left ventricular function and no evidence of left atrial or ventricular thrombus seen on pre- or postoperative transthoracic echocardiography. There was no evidence of atrial fibrillation documented before or after implantation of the device. He had no other known risk factors for thromboembolic disease. Thromboembolic phenomena as a complication of ICD use have been described but arterial emboli believed related to ICD shocks have not been reported in patients without impaired systolic function.
Department of Medicine, Saint Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia.
G C
GC
Wong
J A
JA
Boone
C R
CR
Thompson
D000368:Aged; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology