|
The history of the electrotherapy of cardiac arrhythmias
including cardiac pacing and defibrillation is long and fascinating. In the beginning, there is not simply
the anatomy and physiology of the heart, but also analysis of the pulse, which indicates the activity
of the heart. The growing clinical importance of electric cardiac stimulation has been recognized and
renewed as Zoll in 1952 described a successful resuscitation in cardiac standstill by external stimulation.
The concept of a fully automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator system for recognition and
treatment of ventricular flutter/fibrillation was first suggested in 1970. The first implantation of the
device in a human being was performed in February 1980. By early 1997, 17 years after the first
human implantation more than 100 000 ICD-systems had been implanted worldwide. Further
developments concern atrial defibrillators, radiofrequency ablation, laser therapy and the implantable
(dual)-atrioventricular defibrillator and perhaps the automatic implantable pharmacological defibrillator.
The advances in the field of therapeutic application of pharmacologic and electrical tools as well as
alternative methods will continue as rapidly as before in order to give us further significant aid in taking
care of the patient.
|
