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Death and Devices

Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:21-22.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

A 49-YEAR-OLD man had a history of idiopathic cardiomyopathy and had been receiving antiarrhythmic medications for the past several years. He was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of atrial fibrillation with a rapid, uncontrolled ventricular response. Partial ablation of the atrioventricular node was performed, and a pacemaker was implanted. He was discharged from the hospital on the next day with a stable heart rate of 50 to 60 beats/min. He was found unresponsive at home 10 days after discharge, and resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful.

The family, in cooperation with the decedent's cardiologist, requested that an autopsy be performed to determine if there had been a complication related to the pacemaker placement or ablation procedure and if the pacemaker had malfunctioned.

AUTOPSY FINDINGS

The results of the autopsy revealed marked biventricular hypertrophy (heart weight, 720 g) and moderate-to-severe dilation of all 4 cardiac chambers. The coronary arteries had atherosclerosis with 80% luminal . . . [Full Text of this Article]

COMMENT

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Case of the Month: Wrapping Things Up
Hanzlick and the Autopsy Committee of the College of American P
Arch Intern Med 2000;160:3029-3031.
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