Racial and Gender Disparities in Use of ICDs

ICDs are used significantly more often in whites than in blacks and in men than in women.

Half the deaths in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are caused by lethal arrhythmias. Moreover, compelling evidence has demonstrated that implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) devices reduce mortality in CHF patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. In an observational analysis, researchers studied the use of ICD therapy in patients admitted with CHF and left ventricular ejection fraction <30% who were discharged alive from 217 hospitals participating in the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines – Heart Failure quality-improvement program between January 2005 and June 2007.

Among 13,034 patients eligible for ICD therapy, 4615 (35.4%) were discharged with new, scheduled, or prior placement of an IC…

Reviewing Author

John A. Marx, MD, FAAEM, FACEP