Auto Accident Risk 50% Higher Among Those With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD): Study

A new study warns that heart patients who receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) may be 50% more likely to be involved in an auto accident after the procedure, supporting recent calls for temporary driving bans. 

According to research presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress on August 26, patients with ICD’s are more likely to be involved in an automobile when compared to individuals of a similar age and gender.

The study was led by Danish researchers Dr. Bjerre and several colleagues at The Cardiovascular Research Centre at Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital in Denmark, with the purpose of finding whether patients with ICD’s were at a higher risk of automobile crashes than those without.

Did You Know?

Ticketmaster Data Breach Impacts Millions of Customers

A massive Ticketmaster data breach exposed the names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers and other personal information of more than 560 million customers, which have now been released on the dark web. Lawsuits are being pursued to obtain financial compensation.

Learn More

Prior to the study, contemporary data did not support a driving ban put on individuals with ICD devices due to the potential for patient to suffer an arrhythmia while driving and lose consciousness.

An ICD is an implantable device that is put inside the body, either in the chest or abdomen, to perform cardioversion, defibrillation and pacing of the heart. The device is designed to recognize the presence of cardiac events and irregular heart-beats called arrhythmias, and automatically correct and control the pace of the heart to prevent life-threatening injuries.

Researchers collected their patient data using nationwide registers for residents who received a first ICD for primary or secondary prevention between 2008 and 2012. The study examined motor vehicle accidents that were recorded from nationwide registers on accidents and deaths. The study consisted of two groups. The first contained 4,874 ICD patients and the second included 9,748 subjects matched by age and gender with the average age being 63 years old.

The findings indicate that after a two year follow up period, 2.3% of patients with ICD’s had to visit a hospital for a motor vehicle crash, in comparison to only 1.7% of the matched subjects. Bjerre stated that over time this translates to a 51% increased risk of motor vehicle accidents in ICD patients compared to the controls.

Bjerre stated that due to the retrospective nature of the study, it was inconclusive whether the ICD devices themselves caused the accidents or if patients with cardiovascular disease are more accident prone in general due to the use of prescriptions drugs.

The study sheds light on an important and growing topic within the medical field. With the popularity of the devices growing over the last decade and roughly 100,000 new patient implantations each year, determining driving hazards to further expand restrictions could be lifesaving.

0 Comments

Share Your Comments

I authorize the above comments be posted on this page*

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

More Top Stories

Zimmer Biomet CPT Hip System Linked to Increased Risk of Thigh Bone Fractures, FDA Warns
Zimmer Biomet CPT Hip System Linked to Increased Risk of Thigh Bone Fractures, FDA Warns (Posted today)

The FDA has issued a safety communication warning that Zimmer Biomet CPT hip system femoral stems may increase the risk of femur fractures, calling for doctors to avoid its use when possible.

Change Healthcare Data Breach Lawyers Meeting Today With MDL Judge For Initial Status Conference
Change Healthcare Data Breach Lawyers Meeting Today With MDL Judge For Initial Status Conference (Posted yesterday)

The judge presiding over all Change Healthcare lawsuits filed in federal court is holding the first status conference of the litigation, which is expected to grow significantly as Change Healthcare data breach letters continue to be sent to impacted customers.

Angiodynamics LifePort Lawsuit Filed Over Risk of the Port Catheters Failing, Causing Severe Injury
Angiodynamics LifePort Lawsuit Filed Over Risk of the Port Catheters Failing, Causing Severe Injury (Posted 2 days ago)

Complaint comes as a panel of federal judges are scheduled to hear oral arguments later this month, to determine whether all AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuits filed in U.S. District Courts nationwide should be centralized before one judge.