Instead of defibrillator's painful jolt, there may be a gentler way to prevent sudden death
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 13:00
in Health & Medicine
Each year in the United States, more than 200,000 people have a cardiac defibrillator implanted in their chest to deliver a high-voltage shock to prevent sudden cardiac death from a life-threatening arrhythmia. While it's a necessary and effective preventive therapy, those who've experienced a defibrillator shock say it's painful, and some studies suggest that the shock can damage heart muscle.