What is a Defibrillator? We’ve seen them used on the TV hospital programs, when the young intern nervously applies paddles to a patient’s chest and shocks the heart back into a regular rhythm. Unfortunately, many patients who rely on a heart defibrillator have suffered a Sprint Fidelis lead fracture. Some patients and families have looked at filing a Medtronic lawsuit to help recover compensation for unpaid medical bills, time lost from work and pain and suffering. If you have abnormal heart rhythms, the daily reality is probably not as dramatic as is seen on the TV screen. Many people today have an internal device implanted in their chest that monitors the heartbeat and applies an electric shock to sustain a safe and regular rhythm. An internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is smaller than a pager and is placed on or near the heart, with wires connecting to the blood vessels that send electric impulses into the heart. How Your Heart Works The heart is a muscle, pumping blood throughout the body. Blood goes from the heart to the lungs, where it receives oxygen and then goes through the arteries to every system of the body carrying essential oxygen and nutrients. On the return trip, veins carry blood that is oxygen poor back to the heart and to the lungs for more oxygen. This cycle repeats itself constantly. The heart has four chambers that are essential in this process: the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium and the left ventricle. A valve on each side of the heart regulates the blood traveling from the atrium to the ventricle. Within the right atrium, is the sinus node. This group of cells is the heart’s natural pacemaker. It provides electrical impulses that trigger the valves opening, which in essence, is the heartbeat. A strong heartbeat pumps blood efficiently through the body, however, if the heart is damaged through illness or injury, it cannot pump enough blood throughout the body. Organs cannot get enough life sustaining oxygen, and the oxygen-poor blood cannot be removed sufficiently. Using a Defibrillator If the heart beats too quickly, for example, the heart valves open too quickly to allow the atrium and ventricle to fill with enough blood to pump well. The defibrillator can monitor this problem and provide an electric shock that helps the heart return to a normal rhythm. If you have a heart condition such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, a defibrillator can be a lifesaving device. It is often the preferred method of treatment, instead of or in addition to medicine to regulate the heartbeat. One serious concern has arisen for the use of defibrillators manufactured by the medical technology company, Medtronic. Defibrillators manufactured by them between 2004 and 2007 used a wire (also called lead) with the brand name Sprint Fidelis. The wire can fracture or break, which may cause the defibrillator to fail to give a necessary shock, or conversely, provide too great a shock. The Sprint Fidelis wire was recalled after 5 patients died. If you have the Sprint Fidelis wire in your defibrillator, contact your doctor to discuss medical options. But you may also have legal questions including your options in filing a Medtronic lawsuit if you have a recalled heart lead that has fractured.
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We’ve seen them used on the TV hospital programs, when the young intern nervously applies paddles to a patient’s chest and shocks the heart back into a regular rhythm. Unfortunately, many patients who rely on a heart defibrillator have suffered a Sprint Fidelis lead fracture. Some patients and families have looked at filing a Medtronic lawsuit to help recover compensation for unpaid medical bills, time lost from work and pain and suffering.
David Whitney is author of this article on Medtronic lawsuit. Find more information about Medtronic recall here.
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