Via practica 2/2024

Pacemaker or implanted cardioverter-defibrillator in palliative patients

Cardiovascular implantable devices include a pacemaker and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The goal of their implantation is to improve the survival of patients with serious heart disease and improve their quality of life. By improving diagnostics and the availability of this treatment, the number of patients with implanted devices increases, but also the number of patients who reach the terminal stage of a cardiac or other disease (e.g. malignancy, dementia, neuromuscular disease, etc.) increases. The right approach to the treatment using this device, as well as the termination, forms the key element impacting the quality of life of patients at the end of life.

Keywords: pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, palliative treatment, deactivation