The implantable cardioverter defibrillator: post-code prescribing in the United Kingdom 1998-2002

David Cunningham ¹, Christopher John Plummer ^2*, Janet M McComb ², Stephen W Lord ², Morag W Cunningham ¹, Jean-Manuel Troussaint ³ and Anthony F Rickards ¹

¹ National Pacemaker and ICD Database, United Kingdom
² Freeman Hospital, United Kingdom
³ International Health Market Trends, France

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: c.j.plummer{at}ncl.ac.uk.

Accepted 28 January 2005

Abstract

Objective: To determine the rate of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation across the UK during the period 1998 to 2002.

Design: Observational self-reporting with cross- checking.

Setting: All ICD implanting centres co-ordinated by the National Pacemaker and ICD Database Patients; every patient receiving an ICD in the UK from 1998 to 2002.

Main outcome measures: Date of implantation and postal code of each ICD recipient during the study period.

Results: ICD implantation increased in the UK in the five-year period studied but falls far short of the European average and national targets. Marked regional variation in implantation rates was observed.

Conclusions: The low rate of ICD implantation in the UK and the disparity between regions require further study to determine the barriers to this evidence-based therapy.

Keywords: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator

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