title: Usefulness of the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator in patients at high risk for sudden cardiac death.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wearable cardioverter-defibrillators (WCD) have been available in Japan since April 2014, but their application is still limited. METHODS AND RESULTS: We report 9 patients with a WCD applied between April and September 2014. All patients were at high risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. During WCD use, 1 patient had sustained ventricular tachycardia and successful shock delivery; 6 (67%) subsequently underwent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, while 2 had no requirement because of reduced risk, and 1 died of heart failure during WCD use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WCD is useful during acute-phase care of high-risk patients, and may help to avoid unnecessary ICD implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibutani
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izumiyama
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuma
authors.forename: Taihei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: Masaomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
mesh_terms: D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000628:therapy; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047548:Defibrillators; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000628:therapy; D013318:Stroke Volume; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome