title: Sprint Fidelis implantable cardioverter-defibrillators lead patient management and survival: Single center study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last several years significant rises in the use of implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have also resulted in a number of associated complications. This number includes lead failure. Sprint Fidelis (SF) ICD lead is regarded as a lead with elevated failure risk. Every center acting in accordance with the guidelines should observe patients more thoroughly especially with recalled leads and run a registry of their follow-up. The aim of this research was to present follow-up of the patients with SF leads (types 6948, 6949) from a single implantation center.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 36 SF leads implanted in 36 patients. Mean follow-up period was 76 months (IQR 40.3-86.8). Patients were subjected to regular check-ups in 3 to 6 month intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were implanted at a median age of 66.5 years and majority of them had ischemic cardiomyopathy (72%). A majority of the studied population were men (72.2%). Predominantly dual-chamber ICD (ICD-DR) were implanted (50% ICD-DR vs. 47.2% ICD-VR). The guidelines for management of patients implanted with SF were fully implemented. During the follow-up 14 (38.9%) patients died. No deaths were noted that could be attributed to lead failure. In 5 cases lead failure was identified and of these 4 leads were replaced. Median time from implantation to the detection of lead dysfunction was 52 months (IQR 49; 83). The symptoms of failure consisted of: inappropriate shocks, alternating ventricular lead signal, or loss of ventricular stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The follow-up of patients with recalled SF leads in a single center supports that implementation SF management guidelines could be effective in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: First Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, Poland. marcin.grabowski@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Jakub K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Rokicki
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gajda
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Januszkiewicz
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacko
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stolarz
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opolski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods*; D019468:Disease Management; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Sprint Fidelis; defibrillators; implantable (E07.305.250.159.175) lead failure; lead extraction; lead survival