Which device is implanted to monitor heart rhythm and deliver shocks for life-threatening arrhythmias?

• A. Mitral Valve Prolapse
• B. Endocarditis
• C. Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator
• D. Deep Vein Thrombosis

Answer: (C)

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is designed to monitor the heart’s rhythm and provide immediate therapy for dangerous arrhythmias. It continuously watches the heartbeat via leads and, if it detects life-threatening rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, it can deliver a shock to restore normal rhythm. Many ICDs can also provide pacing therapies to interrupt certain tachyarrhythmias or support heart function in some patients (and some models combine this with pacing for heart failure). The device is implanted under the skin with leads threaded into the heart, making rapid, inside-the-body intervention possible when a dangerous rhythm occurs. The other listed items are conditions or conditions-related diseases, not devices that monitor rhythm or deliver shocks.