WCD Meta-Analysis
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Wearable Cardioverter-defibrillators for the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Meta-analysis
Purpose
- This analysis was created to assess the occurrence of sustained VT events in WCD users, and evaluate the use and effectiveness of WCDs among at-risk cardiac patients.
Methods
- Studies included in the meta-analysis, which consist of data from January 1998-July 2017, met the following criteria:
- Evaluated adult patients using WCDs
- Provided data on one or more outcomes of interest (e.g., all-cause and VT/VF-related mortality, VT/VF occurrence, appropriate and inappropriate shock therapy, and successful termination of VT/VF)
- Were full-text studies published in the English language
- Majority of studies included patients with mixed etiologies (e.g. NICM & ICM)
- Cumulative total of 19,882 non-overlapping patients
Key Results
- VT/VF occurred in 2.6% of patients
- 1.7% of patients received an appropriate shock from the WCD
- Successful VT/VF termination following an appropriate shock in 95.5% of patients
- VT/VF-related mortality occurred in 0.2% of WCD users
- Low incidence of inappropriate shocks at 0.9% of patients
Conclusions
- This analysis shows a high degree of consistency in VT/VF event rates and WCD treatment rates in publications that have studied patients with a low ejection fraction following a recent cardiac event.
- Despite advancements in medical therapies and other devices (e.g. stents), patients with a low-EF continue to have poor outcomes following a cardiac event.
- WCDs are highly effective at successfully terminating life-threatening VT/VF events.
Click here to read the full publication
NGUYEN E, WEEDA ER, KOHN CG, et al. Wearable Cardioverter-defibrillators for the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Meta-analysis. The journal of Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management. 2018;9:3151-3162.