Jan 01, 2014 – New Defrib

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ANCHOR LEAD: HOW WILL A NEW TYPE OF HEART DEFIBRILLATOR CHANGE TREATMENT? ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS

A new type of heart defibrillator, a device that shocks the heart into beating in concert again when it falls out of rhythm, is being used in a very few centers nationally, Johns Hopkins among them. Alan Cheng, a specialist in the heart’s electrical system who is using the device at Hopkins, says he’s not sure how much this new type will come to dominant the market.
CHENG: I’ve spoken to a lot of my colleagues I obviously don’t know the answer to this but people estimate that at least in the current version of this system they can see about 10 to 20% of their patients being eligible for this or being the right decision but as this thing changes, as this thing gets smaller and potentially more contoured in a way that’s a little bit more comfortable for some people who are thinner, for instance, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a larger part of the market share in terms of people who would be eligible for defibrillators. :27

Cheng says the best strategy for someone who needs a defibrillator is to discuss options with their cardiologist. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.