Implantable arrhythmia management devices

An implanted device also offers a unique opportunity for continuous ambulatory collection and trending of physiologic information. Today s devices can provide a history of the incidence and duration of atrial arrhythmias, track heart rate 24 hours/day, and provide estimates of heart rate variability on a daily basis (Figure 15.8). In addition, many devices are equipped with accelerometers that can be used to estimate and track patient activity [17,18]. Other devices track the impedance between electrodes and the ICD housing as a measure of fluid volume in the chest that can be useful in the management of patients with heart failure [19,20]. The addition of implanted sensors to IGDs promises to olfer new opportunities for providing important clinical information. 

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