Inappropriate Therapy of Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Induced by an Electrical Bath.
Motohiro Shingu, Tatsuya Nishikawa, Ryouta Yoshioka et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 73-year-old man with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) for secondary prevention of ventricular fibrillation received an inappropriate shock while using a Japanese electric bath (denki buro). Device interrogation showed that electrical waves from the bath had triggered the therapy. The report identifies the bath exposure as the source of the inappropriate shock and highlights the need to address this risk when educating patients with an S-ICD.
What made this case unusual
The inappropriate S-ICD therapy was triggered by electrical waves from a Japanese electric bath, an environmental source of interference identified on device interrogation.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
When an S-ICD delivers an inappropriate shock, device interrogation can help identify environmental electrical interference; ask about exposure to electric baths.
Why it matters
The authors note that S-ICDs may be more sensitive than transvenous ICDs because of electrode position, supporting specific patient education about electric-bath exposure.