Device Resets Rhythm without Touching Heart

A new kind of device shocks the heart back into normal rhythm without the need for implanted wires that actually touch the heart, a study finds. The device is called a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). A standard ICD is implanted under the skin and is attached to wires that touch the heart. The wire on the new device is implanted under the skin. The study included 314 people using the new device. In a 6-month period, 21 people had episodes of a fast heart rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest. This occurred 38 times in all. Each time, the device shocked the heart back to a normal rhythm. The device detected and fixed 100% of the life-threatening rhythms. However, 41 patients received shocks at times when there was no dangerous rhythm. Cameron Health Inc. makes the device. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it last year.