Study finds overuse of implanted defibrillators

Heart patients who receive one when guidelines don't recommend it face a higher risk of death and have more complications, researchers say.More than 1 in 5 patients who receive an implantable defibrillator to prevent sudden death fall outside guidelines for the use of such devices and have about three times the risk of dying while hospitalized for the procedure as those who receive it within the guidelines, researchers said Tuesday.

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