A Real Lifesaver
As registered nurses who work with heart patients at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, Amy Kumlien and Bridget Penwell are no strangers to sudden cardiac events.
For people on the mend from a heart attack, the likelihood of experiencing a ventricular arrhythmia that could turn into cardiac arrest is greatest in the weeks right after the heart attack.
While cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle changes lower the risk of a cardiac event, another tool in the arsenal is a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) called LifeVest®, which is manufactured by ZOLL.
“A LifeVest® is a wearable defibrillator that people can use to prevent sudden cardiac death," says Kumlien. "They typically have a decreased heart function that puts them at higher risk for this and it will monitor them and if they experienced arrhythmias, it will give them a shock that could save their life.”
A 2019studyof more than 11,000 individuals who were recent heart attack survivors found that in the first year following a heart attack, the death rate was lower among those who wore a WCD compared to those who did not.
库姆林说:“任何心脏肌肉功能下降的人都是穿这件背心的理想人选。“所以，通常情况下，心肌功能下降被认为是低于55%的容量。这些人通常低于35%并且经历过心脏性猝死。如果他们在家里失去了意识，并在致命的节奏中幸存下来，他们也会成为一个候选人。”
A patient wears a LifeVest® 24 hours a day. It includes a garment, an electrode belt, and a monitor that is worn under a patient’s clothes and is only removed when taking a shower. Timing is key. A treatment shock must be delivered within minutes after an event to be effective. After the shock, if the heartbeat returns to normal, the alarms stop and the LifeVest® returns to its normal monitoring mode.
“It's kind of like wearing a seatbelt," says Penwell. "You know you may never use the seatbelt, but it's there for protection in case you need it. If somebody does have a sudden cardiac event, arrhythmia, this life vest will deliver a shock treatment. Just like you see on TV, a defibrillator shocks them out of the lethal rhythm and can save their life.”
Before a patient is fitted with a vest, an echocardiogram will be ordered to assess any decreased heart muscle function. According to Kumlien, if the results are still less than favorable after three months then a permanent defibrillator will be considered.
While wearing the vest takes some getting used to, especially while sleeping, experts agree the payoff could be immeasurable.
“The vest can save your life," says Penwell. "It may never go off, but all it takes is that one time. If you don't have it on that one time, you may miss out on watching your grandkids grow up. If it's a little uncomfortable for three months, hang in there, because it’s well worth it.”