Serious battery problems with cardiac devices prompts warning from Eastern Health

Eastern Health says approximately 400 patients with cardiac devices have been warned the devices may stop working without warning due to a battery problem, following notice from the American company, St. Jude Medical.

The company advised the devices, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD) and their Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices (CRT-D), have a battery-depletion issue, according to a release from Eastern Health Friday afternoon.

A follow up alert from Health Canada said a small number of batteries in the two devices will deplete "suddenly and without warning, within hours or days" the release said.

According to St. Jude Medical, an ICD isa microcomputer is implanted under the skin of your upper chest area. It's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and monitors your heart rate, deliveringtherapy with small electrical pulses. A CRT-Dis a type of specialized ICD used to treat heart failure.

Given the significance of the role both devices play in patients with cardiac issues, battery failure without warning is a serious problem.

The devices have been removed from Eastern Health's inventory, and said it's not aware of any negative impact on patients in its Cardiac Care program who have the devices implanted.

Eastern Health said any patient who feels a vibratory alert indicating a"low battery level"should contact their Device Clinic at(709) 777-6917during working hours (8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.), or go to the nearest emergency department if it happens outside business hours. The phone line will also be staffed from8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.onOctober 29 and 30, 2016. Physicians can identify premature battery depletion either through remote monitoring or in-person visits.