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ICD driving guidelines
American Heart Association (AHA), Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)
Guidelines for ICD placed for primary prevention
1) All ICD wearers should avoid driving for at least 1 week after ICD placement.
2) After the 1-week wait period, asymptomatic patients who received their ICDs for primary prevention need not have their driving restricted. However, they should be informed that loss of consciousness is possible.
3) Once an ICD that was implanted for primary prevention delivers appropriate therapy for VT or VF, the wearer should be subject to the driving guidelines for secondary-prevention ICDs, especially if symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion accompanied the arrhythmic episode.
4) The driving guidelines for people with secondary-prevention ICDs still stand.
5) The guidelines for both primary- & secondary-prevention ICDs apply only to private drivers, not to commercial drivers, whose driving activities are appropriately subject to stricter regulations.
6) The AHA/HRS statement does not carry the force of law, for which government entities are obviously responsible.
People with a history of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) should not drive a motor vehicle for 6 months after the arrhythmic event.
Related
implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
General
clinical practice guideline (CPG)
References
- Epstein AE, Baessler CA, Curtis AB, Estes NA 3rd, Gersh BJ,
Grubb B, Mitchell LB; American Heart Association; Heart Rhythm
Society.
Addendum to 'Personal and public safety issues related to
arrhythmias that may affect consciousness: implications for
regulation and physician recommendations: a medical/scientific
statement from the American Heart Association and the North
American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology': public
safety issues in patients with implantable defibrillators: a
scientific statement from the American Heart Association and
the Heart Rhythm Society.
Circulation. 2007 Mar 6;115(9):1170-6. Epub 2007 Feb 7.
PMID: 17287391