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Survey: HRS members support reuse of cardiac implantable devices

Issue: June 2013

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DENVER — A large majority of Heart Rhythm Society members support reuse of cardiac implantable electronic devices for patients in low- and middle-income countries who cannot receive new devices due to financial limitations, according to results of a survey.

To date, Project My Heart Your Heart has collected more than 10,000 cardiac implantable electronic devices from funeral homes and crematories, of which 21% of devices have more than 75% or 4 years of longevity.

 

Thomas C. Crawford

To assess physician attitudes about reuse of these devices, the HRS sent an online survey to 3,380 members. Overall, 429 (12.6%) responded; 298 were US physician members and 131 were from 38 other countries. Ninety-three percent of respondents had implanted a device within the past 12 months, 10% knew of patients in their country who declined a cardiac implantable electronic device for financial reasons and 9.6% had implanted a resterilized pacemaker.

The survey results revealed:

• 87% of respondents strongly agreed that resterilization of a device with more than 70% of battery life from a deceased patient was safe and 89% strongly agreed that it was ethical.
• 81% of respondents would feel comfortable asking patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices to consider donating to a reutilization program.
• 83% of respondents are willing to implant a refurbished device in patients unable to receive a new device.

The top three concerns identified by respondents regarding reutilization of cardiac implantable electronic devices were infection (64%), device malfunction (30%) and related to ethics (15%) or religion (3.5%).

“Refurbished cardiac implantable electronic devices may improve access to this therapy,” Thomas C. Crawford, MD, assistant professor, department of internal medicine, University of Michigan Health System, and colleagues concluded in the study. “Rigorous validated cardiac implantable electronic device functionality and sterility protocols should be developed to facilitate the reuse of this currently wasted resource.”

For more information:

Crawford TC. PO01-48. Presented at: Heart Rhythm Society’s Annual Scientific Sessions; May 8-11, 2013; Denver.