Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008 More scrutiny for heart devices Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO -- People with implanted heart devices need closer follow-up care, an international panel of heart specialists recommended Wednesday in the first guidelines for monitoring this rapidly growing group of patients. Nearly 2 million people worldwide have pacemakers, defibrillators or other machines to help their hearts beat faster, slower or more regularly. For years, attention focused on who should get these gadgets and whether insurance should pay. Now doctors are facing the daunting task of making sure the devices keep working and that patients hear about safety issues such as the big recalls that have shaken the industry in recent years. The guidelines by the Heart Rhythm Society, doctors who treat heartbeat problems, also endorse new wireless technology that lets doctors check devices remotely while a patient is at home. The new guidelines: n Assign the doctor who implants the device responsibility for follow-up care, unless another specialist takes over the job. This includes coordinating with the patient's primary doctor to keep track of patients as they move. n Recommend giving each patient an "ID card" with details on the device to help resolve safety questions and guide emergency workers. n Urge checkups every three to 12 months -- at least once a year in person. n Urge the government to call device problems "safety alerts" instead of "recalls" to avoid alarming patients who think a recall requires immediate surgery to remove a defective product.

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