Two hearts and one defibrillator.
A patient who had undergone heterotopic heart transplantation and placement of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in his native heart underwent generator change. Defibrillation testing induced ventricular fibrillation in his donor heart. To prevent this potentially lethal complication, defibrillator shock therapy must be synchronized to the donor heart R wave.
Sarver Heart Center, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA. ottp@u.arizona.edu
Peter
P
Ott
Julia H
JH
Indik
D000368:Aged; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004562:Electrocardiography; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000517:prevention & control